The Facts About Sorrow
by Aya Faulkner
Summary: (Sequel to the Truth about Tragedy): Picking up where we left off, Usagi and Mamoru's relationship is really starting to pick up when everything is about to change. Mamoru starts getting bad dreams...can Usagi cope with all the changes in her life and the loss of Mamoru's love? Can she win him back or will a new man take his place instead? And what about the new enemy?
1. Chapter 1

Hello lovelies! I hope you are all doing well! Been working on this bad boy for over a month now but I know many of you have been waiting for quite a while. Well here it is. I hope it doesn't stray too much from my old writing style, I feel like it does but maybe its exactly the same. Any who, this bad boy is 275 pages already and I still have the last chapter to post. Hope you all enjoy!

 **Chapter One**

" _Every bond is a bond to sorrow."_

― _**James Joyce**_

Spring had sprung and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. She stood alone on the bridge that Mamoru had shown her back when it was covered in snow. Her short white skirt flutter in the wind along with her floral print babydoll shirt. It was amazing how different it all looked with all the colors and life. She was so glad that they had won, otherwise this spring would not have been allowed to take place. A warm breeze picked up and carried blossoms with it. They swirled and danced around her, beckoning her to join them. She lifted her hands out to her sides and twirled with the wind. Petals tickled her bare skin and her nose causing her to giggle without care. She didn't stop until she realized she wasn't alone. At one end of the bridge stood Mamoru watching her with an amused look on his beautiful face.

"You are an angel you know that?" He smirked.

She gave him a sideways glance, "You told me that once already."

With his smirk only growing, "I did?"

"Yes, in a dream." She placed her hands on her hips as if to sass him.

"Oh well that doesn't count."

"It doesn't?"

"No, not at all."

He closed the distance between them with a few steps and wrapped his arms around her. She reveled in their warmth and comfort as she laid her head on his chest and listened to the gentle beating of his heart. A finger lifted her face to his and he bent down to kiss her. She rose on tiptoes to meet him halfway and her soul caught fire as their lips met. Every time he kissed her it was the same. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and her knees buckled, but he was always there to catch her. He pulled her deeper into the kiss, tickling her lips with his tongue. Just as she was about to give him access, the sky opened up with a roar and something heavy fell on her head, pushing down and crushing her neck. She fell to the ground, temporarily paralyzed as pain throbbed through her spine. When she felt she could move again, she looked up to see what had attacked her was clutching Mamoru by the neck. All she saw was a tiny body made up mostly of bright pink hair. What really caught her attention was the child's hair style. It was dangerously close to her own. She didn't know who or where this creature came from but she did know it still had a hold on Mamoru.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?! You could have killed someone!"

The small creature turned and looked at her with red eyes. It looked her up and down, stopping at her hairstyle just as she had. Letting go of Mamoru, who looked like he was in shock, she walked closer to her. The girl was so small and, to be honest, very cute. She even had a small ball that looked a lot like Luna. Surely this girl was an ally not a foe.

"Are you Tsukino Usagi?"

"Um...Yes."

In a puff of smoke her cute little ball disappeared and in its place was a pistol pointed at her face. She could see down the barrel of the gun and a chill ran down her spine.

"Then give me the silver crystal!"

She blinked, staring wide eyed, her jaw had hit the floor and she was struggling to pick it back up again. She was in shock. Partly because this small strange child not only knew her name but that she held the silver crystal and partly because SHE HAD A GUN IN HER FACE! If she wasn't so terrified, she would laugh. All the horrific and terrifying things she had witnessed in her lifetime already and a gun still made her freeze. The little girl stood un-moving, save for a small tremor in her little arm as it held the heavy firearm. She stared at her, not the gun, looking for something. And then she saw it, a chink in the little girl's armor. This little girl was scared. She wasn't a killer, something or someone must have put her up to this. And that changed everything. She was no longer afraid, she was determined. This little girl needed help, protecting.

"I'm sorry but I don't have it with me. But if you want to come home with me….."

Mamoru had finally snapped out of his shock and grabbed the girl. The action startled the little one causing her to squeeze the trigger. She heard a loud pop and everything went black.

She had no idea how much time had passed, probably only a few minutes, but when she woke up, she knew that she was dead. Looking around she could see the sun shining through the cherry blossoms, giving a glow of pink light behind Mamoru's head as he leaned over her with a wide smile. His eyes twinkled with delight as he watched her. She felt warm and fuzzy all over making her absolutely sure that she was dead and this was heaven.

"Is this heaven?" She whispered.

Mamoru chuckled, "Usako, it was a pop gun."

"What?" She sat up quickly which was a mistake causing her head to spin.

"Whoa, slow down." He pulled her back down into his lap.

She raised a hand to feel her forehead which was lacking a bullet hole, "What happened?"

"I guess I startled her and she pulled the trigger. But it was just a toy gun." He looked a bit guilty. Either from scaring the girl or because he hadn't been fast enough to protect her even if it was a toy.

She quickly looked around, they were still on the bridge but the girl was nowhere in sight, "Where is she? Where did she go?!"

He shrugged, "She ran off. You fainted. It was either catch you or her and since she did nothing wrong I went for you."

"We have to find her!" She was screaming but she didn't care. Something inside her told her she needed to find that girl, to keep her safe.

Mamoru however did not seem to get it, "Calm down Usako, it was just a prank."

She stood up against his protests and pulled him to his feet as well, "She is all alone Mamo-chan. And she knows about the silver crystal. She needs our help I...I just know it."

He took her hand in his and led her in what she could only assume was the direction he saw the little girl leave.

They must have searched every inch of the park, looking for hours for the pink haired girl, but came up empty handed. Tired and defeated, Mamoru convinced her to continue again tomorrow and rest for now. She was still recovering from the big battle with Metallia having used so much of her energy. The sun was just slipping past the trees when they pulled into her Aunt's house, her still somewhat new home. Everything was just starting to turn green and in another month or so, the honeysuckles would be in bloom. Filling the air with their strong, sweet smell.

Mamoru came around to her side of the car and opened her door, but she was still too deep in thought to notice. How had that girl known who she was? And what did she know about the silver crystal, about her? Was she a new enemy? It was hard to believe that such a small creature could be a threat. And if she wasn't the enemy, then how did she know about the crystal? Was she sent by a new threat? Even if she was, her heart wasn't in it, she could see that much about her.

Mamoru was waving his hand in front of her face for who knows how long. She turned to see a concerned look on his face. If they were to be together forever, she was going to give him some serious frown lines. He put out his hand to help her out and she graciously accepted. His hand was warm and soft. He drew her in close. Mamoru was trying to get her to relax and it was working.

He ran his hand across her cheek, planting it just behind her ear, "I'm sure she is alright Usako, she probably just went home."

She frowned, "I just can't shake the feeling that she is out there all alone. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to."

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and stroked her temple with his thumb. She felt a little bit better but she still had a bad feeling in her gut that she was meant to be more to that little girl.

They walked into her house together and as soon as they entered the kitchen her breath caught in her throat. Staring at them with her big red eyes was the little pink haired girl. She didn't even take a minute to think she just rushed up to the girl and wrapped her arms around her. She had been so worried about this stranger and now that she had her in her arms it was hard to let go. The little girl stood very still and stiff as if she was afraid.

She pulled back, holding on tight to the little girl's shoulders. "We looked everywhere for you. Are you okay? How did you even get here? Did you find it by yourself?"

Before the little pink one could answer, Yukio entered the kitchen behind them, "What are you guys doing?"

She froze, now she was the one who was scared. How was she going to explain this small child in their house?

"Mamoru, I can't believe you never told us about your adorable niece!" Yukio gushed.

Mamoru quickly recovered from his look of confusion and managed a fake smile, "Yeah..well...I don't get to see her much."

He eyed the little one suspiciously, "I guess we'd better get home."

"Actually," the strange pink one spoke, "I was wondering if I could stay here."

Even Yukio had a confused look on her face this time, but she continued, "Uncle Mamoru's place isn't exactly kid-friendly. And he is always at school or here anyways."

"Of course you can stay here." She could hardly believe the words that came out of her own mouth, but one look from Yukio told her that she was okay with it as well.

She turned her eyes back to 'Mamoru's niece', "She can stay with me in my room."

It would appear that this girl not only knew her, but Mamoru as well. As if she had been watching them or something, she knew about Mamoru's apartment and even his schedule. Just how long had she been keeping the two of them under 'surveillance'? How much did she know about them? Did she know about the girls as well?

The girl squirmed a little under her gaze, but she didn't let up. She may have strange feelings for this girl but she still wasn't going to just cave to the girl. She was sure she needed to protect this girl but she had to get the girl to answer her questions if she was going to save her. The little one swallowed hard under her gaze.

Mamoru looked at her and spoke without words, 'Is this a good idea?'

She gave him her sweetest smile and shrugged her shoulders, 'Don't have any other choice.'

She turned to see Yukio staring at them in frustration, "I hate when you guys do that! You guys have some mental conversation or code and it creeps me out!"

They both just chuckled and shrugged at the same time which only seemed to freak Yukio out even more. Turning, she caught the little one watching them with a smile. But it quickly faded when she realized she was back at the center of attention.

Yukio bent down in front of her so they were face to face, "Now...I'm sorry sweetie, tell me your name again?"

Taking her eyes away from Yukio, they found hers again and locked on, "My name is Usagi."

"Usagi? Really? How cute! Is that why you style your hair like that? In imitation of Usagi?"

She looked almost offended at the accusation, "My hair is in admiration of my mother."

All eyes turned to her causing her to blush, "Hey don't look at me, we just met."

Yukio put a gentle hand on the girl's back, "We need to come up with a nickname for you. Can't have two Usagis in the same house, it would be pandemonium! How about….Chibi-usa?!"

The girl smiled at the new name, not seeming to mind the change in title.

Chibi-usa took the opportunity to start moving towards the stairs but was stopped by Shingo who was bounding down the steps. He must have just realized that Mamoru was here. He almost knocked Chibi-usa over but this little girl had some seriously good reflexes. She jumped out of the way like it was nothing while Shingo tried to skid to a stop and failed. Landing squarely on his rump, he shook the whole house. It took him only a few minutes to recover though. The new person in the house seemed to throw him more than lack of air in his lungs from knocking the breath out of himself. He looked at Chibi-usa curiously, up and down. Then he looked at Usagi with the same fervor. He opened his mouth to say something, and by the look on his face it was going to be something snide. However, Yukio cut him off.

"Shingo, this is Mamoru's niece, Chibi-usa."

Turning back to the pink hair and round face, he then looked over at Mamoru, "She does look a little like you. She has your nose."

Now Mamoru was the one staring. He moved to stand a little closer to her; Shingo was right, they had the same nose. Maybe she was a long lost relative that finally surfaced. But then, how did she know about her? Maybe the enemy found her first. That would explain why she was a stranger to Mamoru. She hadn't told anyone yet, especially Mamo-chan, but she now suspected that the deaths of his parents were more than just a car crash. If there was more to it, then that would explain his lack of family members and how this niece could go unnoticed. That could mean that this new enemy had been planning this for a while, watching them and gathering information. Perhaps they also made her wear her hair that way, to create a connection to her as well. Either way, there was more to this girl than she was letting on.

Shingo seemed to recover and continued his original task, getting to Mamoru, "Mamoru-san, can you help me with my homework?" He turned to look at me and Yukio, "Apparently, you are the smartest person in this family!"

Yukio just shrugged and walked away, busying herself with other matters. She, however, was offended, before she could think of something clever to say back she caught Mamo-chan's face. He looked so happy. Then it hit her, Shingo included Mamoru in their family. And he had never had one. Mamoru looked like he might cry as Shingo grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the kitchen table. He pressed him into a seat and ran back upstairs to retrieve is work. She walked over and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning back to their little visitor. She stood watching the whole scene with a sad look on her face. It would seem as though Mamoru wasn't the only one with family issues. More evidence to support her theory.

"Come on Chibi-usa, I'll show you where you are sleeping." She said moving towards the stairs.

She waited at the bottom for the young girl to follow. She came to stand next to her as they went up the stairs together. The girl was so small, she had to be around 3 or 4 years old but she acted more like an 8 year old.

Yukio had been kind enough to buy her a bigger bed. She had gotten her a queen a few weeks ago but the smaller twin bed was still in the room. She turned it into a daybed, pushing it up against the wall and covering it in odd pillows and a few stuffed animals. She left the white and pink covers on it too, making it perfect for a little girl.

Turning she watched as Chibi-usa took in her surroundings. She didn't seem too impressed but she didn't seem disgusted either. Still, she knew how strange a new place could be.

Chibi-usa was still lingering in the doorway, "Welcome, come on in."

She inched her way in fully taking in the room as she went, like a mouse checking the room for predators. As Chibi-usa made her way in, she couldn't help but notice something was missing.

"Where is your stuff? Don't you have any clothes?"

Chibi-usa made a gesture to someone outside and her strange luna cat ball rolled in. She snapped her fingers and in a puff of smoke a small suitcase appeared. This girl had no problems letting her see whatever powers she had. Even if they were self serving powers. She wheeled her little suitcase over to the daybed and hopped on top of it. Bouncing a few times, she decided it was adequate and turned to inspect the stuffed animals. There weren't many. Just the few that she couldn't bare to get rid of. The dark chocolate colored dog with floppy ears her father got her on her fifth birthday; a giraffe that would no longer stand up on its own that her mom got her the first time they went to the zoo; and finally her favorite, a white bunny with long floppy ears and a pink bow that her parents got for her when they found out they were having a girl.

Chibi-usa reached for the latter, turning it over in her hands gently feeling its soft fur.

She saw it as an opportunity, "My parents gave me that one. Did your parents ever give you anything like that?"

"They gave me lots of toys." she said as she tossed the bunny back to its resting spot.

She didn't miss the past tense "gave" in that sentence. She didn't press but the girl must have lost her parents somehow. It was already hard for her to put distance between her and this child, but now that she knew the girl had lost her parents, it was going to be even harder. If this girl was with the enemy it was hard to believe.

A small squeak came from the window opening. Luna jumped to the floor, walked over to her and rubbed up against her legs. Chibi-usa's eyes lit up at the sight of her.

"Do you like cats?" Seemed like a silly question, given her strange, treasured toy cat ball that followed her everywhere, "This is Luna, she lives here too."

Luna glared at the child causing her to shrink away from her. It's not like Luna was extremely friendly to strangers on a normal day but for some reason this little girl gave her cause for alarm. Maybe Luna saw something she didn't? Afterall, her radar is better than hers. Still, Luna and all the Scouts were wrong about Tuxedo Kamen. Really wrong. She followed her gut, or rather her heart, then. Surely it would lead her down the right path once again.

She gently nudged Luna with the side of her foot. The feline took her time taking her eyes off the perceived threat before giving her attention to her charge. She gave a nod to say, 'Let's talk outside'. Leaving the room, Luna followed behind her. She shut the door to give as much privacy to the two of them as possible.

"Usagi-chan, who is that?!"

She rolled her eyes, "Her name is Chibi-usa. She may or may not be Mamoru's niece."

"May or may not," her back arched defensively, "You mean he doesn't know for sure?"

"Calm down Luna. He doesn't know any of his family. He lost all of that in the crash."

Luna did not change her stance, "She does look a little like him. But still, this seems really fishy Usagi-chan."

She giggled at Luna referencing anything as 'fishy' and Luna rolled her eyes at her, "You know what I mean, something's not right here."

She crossed her arms and huffed, "Your telling me. A girl just shows up alone and claims relation to Mamo-chan? Not to mention she somehow knows about the Silver Crystal…."

"WHAT!" Luna about had a stroke.

"Shhh! Someone will hear you!" She cautioned trying to calm her four legged friend.

Luna moved closer to her and talked softly but firmly, "Don't you think you should have mentioned that first?"

"Okay okay so I skipped the important bits, but I didn't want you rushing to conclusions. Luna, she is separated from her parents, she is alone and she is scared. I can see that about her, She needs our help. And...I think she came from the sky."

Maybe the last comment was a bit much. She had Luna till she said that, perhaps she should have kept that to herself.

But Luna calmed down, "Alright, but we should keep a close eye on her."

"That's why she is staying in my room."

Luna lifted up her paw and placed it on her bended knee. A glow came from under it warming up her knee to a pleasant level. When the light waned, a weight was left in its place. Looking she found a new transformation broach with the Silver Crystal inside. It twinkled in the fading sunlight. A reminder of the trials she had passed….and a promise of trials to come.

She picked it up, feeling its weight in her hands, "Thank you Luna. This is much more convenient than having it on a string. Also easier to hide."

"It's more than a convenience Usagi-chan. That is a more powerful broach than the one you had. Your power has grown and is continuing to do so," she jumped into her lap and looked her in the eyes, "You have gotten so strong Usagi. So much quicker than I could have imagined."

Just then, her stomach growled loudly, interrupting the moment completely.

Luna only laughed, "At least some things haven't changed."

She stuck her head back into her room to find Chibi-usa still sitting on the edge of the bed. She was watching her feet swing back and forth over the edge, several inches from touching the ground still.

"Are you hungry?"

Big eyes grew even larger and as if on cue her stomach growled even louder than hers had moments ago. Even though her stomach had already answered for her, she looked up at Usagi and nodded her head.

With a small giggle, Usagi extended a single hand out to the young miss. Who slowly slid off the bed, walked over, and took her hand. If felt so small and yet so warm. She marveled for a moment at the difference in size. She had no memories of Shingo when he was this small, holding her hand. She was too young for it to have been such a memorizing difference. She let her fingers wrap gently around her tiny hand, afraid she might break it if she were not careful, and led her out of the room. The girl trusted her enough to let her lead her around, 'Baby steps Usagi, baby steps'. Gaining her trust may take a while.

Not a lot I know, but don't worry, I will post the next chapter soon!


	2. Chapter 2

I haven't really decided how quickly to post these yet, but I figured since the last chapter didn't have too much going on in it, I would post this one a bit quick. It does start to pick up I swear! Thank you to those who have already read and followed/favorited the story! Also, to those of you who have been waiting, I am going to start working on a sequel to The Customer if Always Right soon. I want to finish this one and my sequel to the Blood Countess first, simply because they are both so close to being finished. But it is next on my list. I also want to take a break from all the seriousness of these fics and write some fun fluffs, which I'm also working on right now. Stay tuned for more! Enjoy my lovelies!

 **Chapter 2**

" _Because no retreat from the world can mask what is in your face."_

― _**Gregory Maguire**_ _,_ _ **Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West**_

Yukio sat on the couch under the lamp with her laptop out, typing away furiously, 'Working to keep the lights on' as she would say. Mamo-chan and Shingo sat side by side leaning over a text book that was placed on the small kitchen table. It sat squarely in the middle of the small kitchen leaving just enough room to maneuver around and work on food.

The two talked softly as they worked. Out of nowhere, Chibi-usa released her hand, walked over to the two of them, and climbed into Mamo-chan's lap like it was second nature. Stunned for a minute, Mamo-chan quickly recovered and relaxed, letting the child settle between him and the table.

Returning back to the task, Shingo continued to read the text from the page, "One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. 'Which road do I take?' she asked. 'Where do you want to go?' was his response. 'I don't know,' Alice answered. 'Then,' said the cat, 'it doesn't matter." Shingo sighed, frustrated, as he sat back in his chair., "This is just a bunch of crazy. It's like someone wrote while high!"

Mamo-chan, always the patient one, tried to explain, "Well that's how it's supposed to be. It's a fantasy."

"But it doesn't make sense, what does it even mean?" Shingo said, exasperated.

She had placed a sandwich in front of Chibi-usa, who wasted no time consuming it, and sat down with her own sandwich in front of her. She sat across from them and continued to listen to Mamo-chan try to explain but it was clear that he was more of a Math and Science man.

She swallowed her bite, "It means that if you don't know what you want out of life, then you will have to take whatever you get."

The two stopped and looked at her. Chibi-usa continued devouring her sandwich as if she hadn't eaten in days. She looked around curiously when her eyes settled on Usagi's sandwich, which was only half finished. Catching the girl's train of thought, she slid her plate and the rest of her sandwich to her. Looking up with surprise, she smiled graciously before digging in.

Shingo and Mamo-chan still had their eyes glued to her as she continued to surprise/scare them, "The story is a fantasy but it's more of a coming of age story. Alice wanders aimlessly through life just like she does in wonderland. Alice needs to learn to take control of her life, that is why she falls into wonderland."

Shingo looked down at the page before him and then back up at her, as if he wasn't sure he could trust her analysis. Not that she could blame him. Much like Alice, she had been letting her education future sit on the sidelines while she played around.

To prove herself, she continued on,

"The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun

Had got no business to be there

After the day was done

"It's very rude of him," she said,

"To come and spoil the fun!"

Shingo stared at her like he wasn't sure she was really his sister. Mamo-chan smiled, showing nothing but pride in her. And Chibi-usa….was asleep. She must have fallen asleep soon after she finished eating. Her plate clean, she rested her head next to it on the table amid the crumbs. As carefully as he could, Mamo-chan shifted and lifted the small child up into his arms and carried her towards her bedroom. Once he was out of sight she turned back to Shingo who was once again looking over the text with a concerned look.

"Don't take it all so seriously," she warned, "Just think of it as a story and drink in all the details. Your teacher doesn't expect you give a critique, he just wants you to read it and comprehend it the best you can."

Shingo nodded his head, shaking his hair all around, "Okay, I will try."

With that, he took his book and himself and headed upstairs as well. Mamo-chan reappeared as well.

"I should probably get going."

Not moving or looking up from her computer, "Thank you Mamoru, see you tomorrow." With a flippant wave of her hand, that was it, back to her work.

They both looked at each other again, "I'll walk you out," she added.

She walked just a few steps behind him as they made their way to his car a few feet away from the house. It was spring but it was early spring so the nights were still chilly. Goose flesh covered her bare skin and she cursed herself for not grabbing a jacket on the way out. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stave off the chill.

They reached his car far too fast for her liking, but he turned to face her instead of jumping in and driving off as he usually did. He instantly noticed her lack of warmth and drew her into his arms. Placing his head on hers, she warmed instantly.

"So...what was all that? I didn't know you were such a big fan of Alice in Wonderland."

She shrugged, "Well back when I wasn't sleeping and I finished my homework, I took up reading more. I mean, I always liked it more than my other subjects. Alice in Wonderland was something my mom always told me I should read. She use to say that I reminded her of Alice….."

It hadn't even been a year yet since she lost her parents so it was safe to say the wounds were still fresh. Especially since she learned they were killed over her being Princess Serenity. But she was able to fight back the tears for the moment, since she had Mamo-chan in her life now. He squeezed her a little tighter, giving her the support she needed without needing to say a word.

Changing the subject, "Are you going to be able to handle Chibi-usa?"

She pulled away just enough to look at him, "I don't think she will be a problem. Do you?"

"I don't know. She seems harmless enough. She seems...lonely." Concern flashed across his face.

"Do you know her? She acted like she knew you, is she really a part of your family?"

He pulled away, getting angry, his extended family was a sore spot with him what with them leaving him to live alone, "I don't remember her but she would have been born long after my parents died and I lost my family."

"She seems to have lost them as well."

He turned away from her completely, facing his car, punched the roof, hard. A small dent remained from his outburst.

She grabbed onto the back of his arm and tired to turn him to face her but he resisted, ashamed of his outburst. "I wouldn't put it past them to leave a child. She is even younger than I was."

She wrapped her arms around him from behind squeezing him tight as if she could squeeze the pain and anger out of him forever.

He still refused to face her so she slipped around, placing herself between him and the car, "We won't leave her alone. No one deserves to be left behind and forgotten. Especially someone like you."

He finally looked at her and leaned in close so that they were eye to eye, "I think I missed you before I met you."

With that, he closed the small gap between them, kissing her hard. It deepened quickly and her whole body went ablaze. He pressed her up against the car, lifting her up to put them on the same level. She wrapped her arms and her legs around him without thinking, her body was in control now. She dug her hands into the hair at the base of his neck, holding on as tightly to him as possible. His hands gripped her shirt, pulling the loose folds tightly into his grip, his best attempt at trying to control them. A moan escaped her lips and whatever control his still retained was lost. His hands began to roam her body; her hair, her back, making his way to her bottom which was half exposed due to all the movement pushing her skirt up her thighs. HIs hand lingered there for what seemed like forever. She was secretly begging him to continue his exploration of her body. Then, slowly, his hands made their way to her thighs. Resting them on top with his thumbs dangerously close to her warmth, which was already warming up from all the action, but his with his hands so close it throbbed.

All at once, everything stopped. His lips left her and started a trail down her neck, to her chest, and down. Her breath caught in her throat as he continued down. But he stopped at the neckline of her blouse, right at the top of her breast. She was laid back on the car allowing him all the access to her body he desired. But just as quickly as they had started, he pulled it to a screeching halt.

He set her back down on the ground, brushed her skirt and shirt back into place, and kissed her on her forehead. Still in shock and wrapped up in the moment, she just stood there, both breathless and confused.

He chuckled and gently moved her back towards the house. She felt embarrassed, having been turned down. From what she wasn't exactly sure, she wasn't sure where she wanted the moment to go, she just knew that she hadn't been the one to stop it which caused her to feel dejected.

She moved to head back inside, now she was the one unable to face him. Grabbing her from behind, he gently turned her around and grabbed her chin, tilting it up so she was looking at him.

He laughed at the face she made, causing him to sweep her up into his arms again, kissing her lips, forehead, and nose until she giggled, releasing her hold on the negative feelings she had.

Placing her back on the ground, he leaned over to look her in the eyes as he spoke, "I don't want the first time we make love to be on the top of a car, and neither do you."

Now it was her face to catch fire as her blush raged unchecked. With that, he turned, got in his car, and drove away with her still standing there pondering his words.

Was that really where that was going? She honestly hadn't given much thought to it, having sex. Thinking back on what had just happened, the way her body reacted to him, clearly her body was more prepared than she was. She had completely lost control and acted on impulse.

She made it back up to her room, taking care not to wake Chibi-usa as she changed into her pjs and slid into bed. But sleep did not come to her as easily as it did her counterpart who was sawing logs across the room from her.

This would have been the kind of thing she would have talked to her mother about. As it were, she wasn't sure if she should talk to Aunt Yukio about it. Yukio was still new to motherhood but she was still a woman with experience. It was a tough call. Being her Aunt and her caretaker put her in an odd position. It would be almost unfair to mention it to Yukio. No she couldn't do that to her, she had enough to deal with.

She could talk to the girls about it but none of them have ever mentioned getting close to that base. They had kissed guys but if they had gone any further, they hadn't told a soul. Minako had traveled a lot and has had a lot of boyfriends. Plus, they were cousins in another life. She would probably be able to give her some advice.

Once she decided to talk to Minako, she was left with her thoughts on her situation. Had Mamo-chan always been so quick and chaste with his goodbyes for fear of going too far all this time? They hadn't been going out that long, was it really okay to take that step with him so soon? Of course, they had known each other for years before now and they were together in their past lives. That time counted too right? It did to her and she would be damned if she cared what others thought.

Even though he usually did, she was sure Mamo-chan would not be making an appearance at her window tonight. But she was thankful for that tonight. She had too many thoughts swimming around in her head about them and their relationship. And she wasn't too sure she could control herself even though she hadn't made any decisions on just how far she was ready to go with him.

Had the two of them had sex in as their former selves? She didn't remember but she was still getting more and more of her memories from that time back. She laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes, willing herself to forget about it for now and just fall asleep. But her mind was an endless sea of thoughts and images. What would it be like to be with him, how he looked naked (which wasn't too hard to imagine since she had seen him in boxers before), what she looked like naked with him (that thought sent her over the edge with brushing). She sat up in her bed, all but giving up on sleep at all.

Her eyes were drawn to the movement coming from Chibi-usa's bed. Even in a twin sized bed, her form was small under the covers, but she could still see her tossing and turning violently amongst the sheets. Rising from her own bed, she made her way over to Chibi-usa, who was saying something so softly she had to lean in the understand.

"...mmm….mo…...mommy….no…...no…...no don't…..stay away...from...me…"

She thrashed more and more and her words got clearer and louder, "No….don't go….you can't leave me…YOU…..stay away….stay away from me…..NO!" She bolted up in her bed.

In an instant, her eyes met Usagi's, then filled with tears that quickly overflowed. Whether she wanted it or not, Usagi pulled her into a hug. Answering her, Chibi-usa moved into her lap and let herself be consoled. Chibi-usa buried her head in Usagi's chest. Usagi thought back to what her mother use to do when she was upset or had a bad dream. Wrapping one arm around the shuddering child, she used the other hand to gently stroke her back. Then she made calming 'shhhing' sounds while rocking the two of them back and forth on the bed.

After a few minutes, the child stilled, fallen back to what Usagi hoped would be a dreamless sleep. Slipping her off of her and back into her bed like a pro, she then made her way back to her bed. Now she couldn't stop thinking about what slipped out of the child's mouth. What kind of hellish nightmare was the poor thing having? If they were anything like the ones she had after losing her parents, then she truly felt for the girl.

Sighing in exasperation, she turned over yet again trying to find comfort and solace within her sheets. But sleep would not find her tonight so easily.

It had been a while before she felt the need for coffee in the morning but last night was a long one. She made her way like a zombie over to the mugs, grabbed the first one she saw, and filled it a little higher than usual. She took a sip, unthinking due to grogginess, and nearly choked on the boiling hot, bitter liquid. The mistake woke her up a bit, making her next move to the sugar and then the milk. She tried it again this time finding it tolerable.

"Rough night?"

Noticing for the first time that she was not alone, she turned to find a concerned looking Mamo-chan sitting at the table. He had a cup of coffee in his hands and another half empty cup sat close to him. Aunt Yukio must have just been there but was nowhere in sight now. He continued to scrutinize her, surely concerned given her track record with 'rough nights'.

She put up her free hand defensively, "It wasn't like that. At least not for me. Chibi-usa had a nightmare that's all."

He raised an inquisitive brow, "And that's all?"

Her blush returned as she remember what else kept her up last night, "Uh huh." Clearly she was unconvincing as his stare only intensified, "I promise, it wasn't anything for you to worry about. It was just...my thoughts keeping me up."

He smiled devilishly, "Must have been some interesting thoughts."

She felt her blush deepen and did her best to turn away from his gaze.

He turned his attention halfway back to his coffee, "However, unless you want my thoughts to get interesting, you should go get dressed."

Confused, she looked down to see she still had her night shirt on. It was an old one, soft from all the wear and wash, but that made it a bit on the see-through side especially with the morning light shining brightly behind her. It also stopped just below her buttocks, leaving very little to the imagination. She blush covered her entire body at the realization of her mistake. She was one thin piece of cloth away from standing in front of him naked. She quickly set down her coffee and b-lined her way to the stairs. But instead, he caught her around the waist. Before she could react he had pulled her into his lap. Wrapping both arms around her waist so she couldn't escape, she was left at the mercy being his captured prey. He let one of his hands fall and rest on her exposed thigh, causing the heat from last night to return to her. She crossed her arms over her chest in both anger and to cover her bra-less breast from sight.

He let out a chuckle, leaned into to her, letting his lips touch her ear as he spoke, "'Interesting thoughts' kept me up all night too."

The heat of his breath on her skin sent a shiver down her spin as she took in the meaning of his words. Then he kissed her neck just below her ear and set her back up on her feet. The mixture of sleep deprivation and the rollercoaster of emotions she was on had her dizzy. She almost fell back into his lap but he helped her steady herself with a laugh. She continued her task of heading upstairs although now she had forgotten just why she needed to get up there. She was slow to move and before she made out of the kitchen, Yukio reappeared for the rest of her coffee no doubt.

"Whoa Usagi-chan, you feeling alright? You look flushed?"

Still in a haze, she looked at her Aunt's concerned face while Mamoru just laughed behind them, "Huh?...Yeah...I just..didn't sleep well last night that's all."

Yukio looked unconvinced, "Okay, well, you better put some clothes on. You can't go out like that!"

Looking down again, she suddenly became very aware of her lack of clothing once again. She rushed back upstairs.

Chibi-usa was still asleep. So calm and still. She took a minute to watch her small face as the sunlight danced across it. As quietly as she could, she dressed in her work uniform, making sure to pack a change of clothes for when she got off later that day. She had the morning shift today. It wasn't the greatest way to spend her Saturday morning but at least she always made a bundle in tips. And it wouldn't be all day. She still had the evening and Sunday to spend with Mamo-chan and the girls. Really it was the best time to work if you have to work on a weekend.

Once downstairs, she sat on the bottom step and pulled on her white keds. She could hear Mamo-chan and Yukio talking in the kitchen from where she sat.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. But you know we care about you Mamoru, so I just have to ask."

"It's okay Yukio. It doesn't bother me. I just don't remember."

"I guess in a way that is better. At least you don't have nightmares like Usagi-chan."

"Is she still having nightmares?"

It would appear that Mamo-chan did not believe her story of how she lost sleep last night.

"No, no I don't think she has in a long time. But I think I might have heard Chibi-usa last night. I guess we just attract broken kids here." Yukio said with sorrow dripping from her voice.

"I can't think of a better place for them."

She could almost hear her Aunt smile from his words, "Thanks. Speaking of Chibi-usa, since we can't contact her parents and you don't know how long she will be here, we need to figure out some kind of school or daycare for her."

"Oh don't worry, I'm on it. I have a few friends in high places that I can get to help me get her in somewhere great."

"Oh thank goodness. I hate to think she didn't have anywhere to go…..I just don't understand who could leave a small child like this."

"Me either Yukio, me either."

The conversation slowed so she decided to reveal herself, "ready to go?" She said looking at Mamo-chan.

Without a word he stood up and pushed his chair in. Saying their quick goodbyes and promising to be home right after work, they settled into Mamo-chan's car and took off. They were barely down the road when Mamo-chan started in.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop."

Of course he had known she was there the whole time, "It's also not nice to distrust someone."

"You don't exactly have the best track record for honesty."

She shot him a look. His eyes were on the road but she knew he felt it cause he bristled in his seat. She crossed her arms firmly over her chest and resigned herself to spending the rest of the ride in silence. Afterall, her mother taught her that, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all.

They arrived at the cafe in no time without a single word spoken between them. Her anger only fueled by his silence, she tried to get out of the car. As soon as she got her door open, he reached over and pulled it shut again. He didn't remove his arm, instead he kept it on the door incase she tried to escape again. This gave her a feeling that she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"I'm allowed to worry about you aren't I?" He asked, his voice dripping with concern.

While hers was filled with indignation, "Yes, but when that worry turns to distrust, we have a problem."

"You have kept secrets from me before. Secrets that almost got you killed, remember?"

"Of course I remember. But that was different. I didn't know who you were outside of Mamoru Chiba. And even then you were still a mystery to me."

He released the door and sat back just enough to look her in her eyes as she spoke, "Things were hard for me then, and I know it wasn't that long ago but it was still a lifetime for us. We have gained so much since then, our memories and each other. I couldn't cut you out of any part of my life now even if I wanted to." She grabbed his face to make sure he heard her words, "We belong to each other, body and soul. I won't keep secrets from you anymore."

He took her hand and kissed her palm before sitting back, completely releasing her from his hold, "Okay, I trust you."

Giving him a small smile, she left the car and disappeared into the cafe.

I realize this chapter doesn't have a ton of action in it either. But at least it has a little bit of a hot kiss in it. You can take that as a precursor to future chapters.


	3. Chapter 3

Here it is! Since it's a Saturday, I thought many of you would have some free time to read. This is a long one too. Hope you enjoy it!

 **Chapter 3**

" _If you know someone who tries to drown their sorrows, you might tell them sorrows know how to swim."_

― _**H. Jackson Brown Jr.**_ _,_ _ **P.S. I Love You**_

Usagi was on edge the rest of the day. She hated that they had fought. It wasn't the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But she managed to put on a brave face and do a decent job of taking care of her customers.

She was almost done for the day when someone sat in her section. She didn't see a face but she could see the shaggy blonde hair from where she stood. A blue and red checked shirt covered broad shoulders and blue jeans that just reached run down tennis shoes. College student by her guess. She readied her notepad and left her side work to go take his order.

"Hello, I'm Usagi, I will be your server today. Can I get you something to drink?"

Looking up from his menu he gave her a warm smile, "Coffee black please."

He was pretty attractive. Blonde hair that was messy, but in a manner that seemed intentional. Bright blue eyes that matched the blue in his shirt. He had a thick silver band on his right middle finger and a small silver stud in each ear. It was not really her thing, but whatever, it worked for him.

She brought him coffee and laid it in front of him, "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you. Just the coffee."

He brought the cup up to his lips and took in a breath as if the coffee was his oxygen. Then he took a small sip, treating the cup as if he was trying to seduce it. She left him to his coffee and went in the back to change. The soft cotton of her sundress felt great on her skin after being in an out of a hot kitchen in her stuffy uniform. It was light pink with daisies all over it ending just above her knees with a heart shaped neckline. It went well with her white keds, which was good cause she did not feel like bringing a change of shoes. On top she put on her dark grey cardigan that stopped a few inches from the hem of her dress.

Second shift had taken over and she was on her way out when a few of the other servers were making a big fuss.

"No way", "It must have been a mistake", "Man how come no one like that sits in my section", "Cause you are a terrible server".

She walked over to see what all the fuss was when she noticed they were standing by her last table, that was now empty, "What's going on guys?"

They all turned and one of them shoved a twenty dollar bill in her face, "This guy left you a 20 for a 50 cent cup of coffee!"

"Yeah what the heck did you do to get that kind of a tip?"

"Haha service with a smile huh?"

"Yeah it must be so nice to be a pretty girl."

Right then, Mamo-chan walked in to take her home. He knew some of her co-workers from class and they all knew him because he picked her up every time. Their comments left her feeling guilty. Had she done something inappropriate to deserve such a tip? She barely talked to the guy but it wouldn't have been the first time she gave someone the wrong idea accidentally.

Sensing her discomfort, Mamo-chan joined the conversation, "What's going on guys?"

"Dude, Mamoru-san, your girl just got a ridiculous tip from some guy."

Feeling her cheeks warm slightly, "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"Usagi it was like a 200% tip."

"Uonagi, 200% seriously man? This is why no one tips you."

"What?"

The one that knew Mamo-chan from school turned and looked at him, "If I were you man, I'd watch out for this one," he gestured at her clearly not caring if she heard, "some rich dude is going to sweep in here and take her off your hands if you know what I mean!"

They were just teasing her, it's what co-workers do, but it still was unsettling for her. She pushed past them and Mamo-chan heading straight for the door. After giving a quick, "I'll keep that in mind," Mamo-chan was right behind her. She didn't wait for him, she just made her way to his car.

"Hey dumpling head."

At the use of her old nickname, she stopped and let him catch up. He stood in front of her and walked backwards as he talked, "You know they were just picking on you right?"

"I know, I know. It just creeps me out."

"What?"

"The idea of a customer leaving me so much money."

He gave her an amused look, "Isn't that the point?"

"Yes...no..I don't know. I guess those guys just made it weird for me. Like the guy was expecting more by leaving me more."

"Don't let them get to you Usako. They are a bunch of idiots. Trust me, I've had classes with most of them."

She smiled and he stopped in his tracks forcing her to stop as well, "You are beautiful though."

She giggled and tried to hide her face from him by staring at her shoes, "Oh no you don't." He placed a finger under her chin and pushed her face back up, "Let me see those beautiful blues," he looked straight into her eyes, "he's right you know."

"Huh?"

"Some rich dude may just come sweep you off your feet."

"Who needs money anyways?"

"Oh I have money. But I'd give it all away for one kiss from you."

"Is that so? Well then put your money where your mouth is and we will see."

He pressed his lips to hers quickly deepening the kiss. It was a "weak in the knees" kind of kiss that he gives her so often. But he kept it short, pulling back to look at her once more.

"Yeah, I'm in trouble. Especially if it's that easy to buy a kiss from you."

She slapped his arm playfully and he opened her door for her. As she waited for him to come around to the driver side, she could have sworn she saw her last customer again, across the street watching them. But when she took a closer look, he was gone.

As they were walking out the door, Yukio was packing up to go out it, "Oh good your here. Look, I've got a little bit of a work emergency. I hope it will only be a few hours but I will call you if I have to stay later...Chibi-usa! Usagi-chan is home! She has been asking about you all day. She is up in your room now. Shingo is over at a friends for the night. Order pizza! Okay, gotta go!" In a blur she was gone,

She looked over at Mamo-chan who was staring at the dust Yukio left behind, "Must have been one hell of an emergency!"

Usagi bounded up the stairs in search of Chibi-usa. When she entered her room, Chibi-usa looked like she was trying very hard to look innocent. Looking around she could see why. Her room was clean but it looked like it had been straightened. Like it had been wrecked and put back together. A few things here and there were not exactly where she left them. Something a normal person might not have noticed, but being Sailor Moon had caused her to be extra sensitive to certain things. Chibi-usa has searched her room. No doubt looking for the Silver Crystal. The poor girl didn't know that she always had it on her.

Usagi decided not to say anything about it though, "Looks like it's just the three of us tonight. Do you want to come spend some time with me and Mamoru?"

She shrugged, but still made her way out of the room and downstairs. Since she had met Chibi-usa, she hadn't said much. The most she had heard her say was in her sleep and even that wasn't much. It was going to make gaining her trust even harder.

Luna sat, snoozing on her bed. Chibi-usa was halfway down the stairs when she called out to her furry friend, "Luna….Luna!"

Luna stretched and yawned, looking at her like she was bored, "What happened in here?"

"She searched this room top to bottom looking for the crystal." She said through another yawn.

"And what did you do? Watch her?"

"Pretty much. What was I supposed to do Usagi? Reveal myself to her? The crystal isn't here anyways."

"I know but you could have at least...I don't know!"

"She went through your underwear drawer you know. I told you not to trust that girl."

In a show of absolute frustration, she threw her hands up in the air and growled at the ceiling. None of which affected the feline. Giving up, she made her way downstairs, where she found Chibi-usa talking away to Mamo-chan. She was like a completely different person, smiling and giggling and carrying on with the conversation. She wasn't sure what the two were talking about, Chibi-usa quieted down as soon as she entered the room. Clearly Usagi wasn't not included in it.

The action confused Mamo-chan, looking between the two of them as if there was a sign hanging somewhere that revealed the secret as to what happened to cause Chibi-usa to not like her. If he found it, she hoped that he shared cause she would like to know too.

The silence was palpable and crushing her, "So, what would you guys like to do tonight?"

Chibi-usa silently shrugged her shoulders and flopped down on the couch like a spoiled child told 'no'. Usagi had never had to fight for someone to like her before, and she wasn't about to start now. It looked like the child liked and trusted Mamo-chan so maybe she would open up to him. He could find out what was wrong with the child instead of her.

"I'm going to go order pizza."

And she left the room. It wasn't even a minute when she could hear the room lighting up behind her as the lack of her presence allowed Chibi-usa to be herself. She tried her best not to take it personally, we were talking about a child here. It was going to be a long night.

When she came back into the room, a decision had been made. Board game night. Great.

Someone had pulled a few out, but they had Monopoly out on the coffee table and were setting it up. She was not very good at board games. Found them boring. Usagi was especially bad at Monopoly. She watched as the two of them worked to get the game ready in relative silence, either because of her or because they were concentrating.

Monopoly took two hours and Mamo-chan won, of course. Then they moved on to Candyland, her favorite. But neither Mamo-chan nor Chibi-usa had played the game. As she explained the game, she set it up. The board was worn at the folds, showing how much it had been played in the past. It was shear luck that all the pieces remained. She shuffled up the cards and placed them in front of Chibi-usa. It was house rules that the youngest goes first. Chibi-usa picked up a card tentatively. Red card. This placed her character five spaces up. Her turn. Blue card, four spaces up. Now Mamo-chan, yellow card, only one space up. She could usually get a sense as to who was going to win after the first card draw. This game was between her and Chibi-usa.

The game continued, she had to admit it was a very simple game, but that just made it all the more fun. Mamo-chan kept getting suck in "cherry pitfalls" and not drawing a card to get himself out. His frustration was hilarious, even Chibi-usa was laughing at him. The battle to save King Candy was between her and Chibi-usa. She would never insult the child by letting her win either. Not that you could really rig such a game. Either way, Chibi-usa barely won, the two of them neck and neck till the end. Poor Mamo-chan only made it to the middle of the board by the time the game was over. Long gone was the scared little girl that Chibi-usa had been around her. They were all having a good time at this point, even if she wasn't a big fan of board games. Next was trivial Pursuit but they were taking a break to eat the pizza that had finally arrived. To which the smallest of them ate the most surprising them all.

As they were about to turn their attention back to the game, the phone rang. The home line. She knew who it was before she picked it up.

"Hey Aunt Yukio. How are things going?"

"Disaster. Looks like I'm going to be all night."

"Man that sucks."

"You're telling me. Look, I know you are almost 17 but I just don't like the idea of you and Chibi-usa being there alone all night. Can you two go spend the night at a friend's tonight?"

Usagi thought about it for a second, she knew exactly which friend to ask, "Yeah sure no problem. Don't worry about us."

"Okay good. Have a good night sweetie, I'll see you tomorrow."

She heard the click of the line going dead before she could say anything back. Things must have been pretty bad at work. It had been a while since her Aunt had been this consumed with the job. Someone must have really messed up. She was sure whatever happened, it wasn't her Aunt's fault, but now Yukio had the job of cleaning up the mess. Maybe someone ruined a painting, or set up a gallery wrong? Her Aunt handled a lot of art for a lot of different people so there was really no telling what had gone wrong or how big of a deal it really was.

The game had started without her when she had returned, "In what city was Ludwig van Beethoven born?" Mamo-chan asked Chibi-usa, whose face went blank at the question.

"I don't know." She stated like it was a ridiculous question. She must not have played Trivial Pursuit before if she thought that was bad.

He handed the next card over to Chibi-usa for his turn, "The Starry Night is an oil on canvas painted by which post-impressionist painter?"

"Vincent Van Gogh"

"Aw man, you're right. How did you know that?!"

She handed over his piece and he shrugged while he placed it in his little wheel. Looks like Mamo-chan was going to win this game too.

She settled back in her spot next to the two of them and looked at Chibi-usa's defeated face, "Try starting with a category you know well. Like movies or music."

"And where would you like to start Usako?"

She looked over to see his expression was smug, he already knew he had won this game, "Literature." She did her best to match his smugness but she wasn't sure if she pulled it off.

"Okay, 'Call me Ishmael' is the opening line from what novel?"

She thought for a moment, she knew she knew this one, it was sitting just on the edge of her mind… "Moby Dick."

A look of surprise flashed on both their faces, to which she was completely offended. Especially coming from Chibi-usa. They barely knew each other but already she was labeled as an idiot to the young girl.

Sensing her hurt, Mamo-chan decided to distract her from the game, "Who was on the phone?"

She had almost forgotten, "Yukio. She is going to be all night."

"Oh wow, poor Yukio."

"Yeah….anyways, she wants Chibi-usa and me to spend the night somewhere else."

"Oh?" He already knew where this was going.

"So how about we stay with you tonight?!"

Chibi-usa brightened up to the idea, "Yeah! Can we please!"

The way she pleaded, you would think she REALLY hated staying here with her. After all, there really wasn't anything keeping her here, since she had claimed Mamoru as family.

Mamo-chan hesitated, "I don't know. Is that really a good idea? Don't you think Yukio would mind?"

"She said stay with a friend and you are my friend aren't you?" She rationalized.

He eyed her closely, "Yes but…."

"Do you not want us to stay with you?" Chibi-usa was almost in tears as she asked the question. This girl was good.

With both of them working him, he quickly caved, "Okay okay, go pack your bags."

Both of them jumped up and ran upstairs. The two of them were acting exactly the same, which was fine for Chibi-usa, she was a child, however, for her to act like a child was a little immature. When they reached her room, Luna was no longer on her bed. The window was cracked open though. She must have gone out for the evening. Maybe to see Artemis, she thought devilishly. Luna thought she didn't know but it was so obvious, the two of them. I mean, they are the only talking cats on this planet, who else were they going to be with?

Chibi-usa finished packing first, being so young, she needed a lot less than she did. She left the room wordlessly while she was still packing up some clothes. She went over to her underwear drawer which was disheveled, every piece was now rumpled and put back clumsily. Like it had been done by a child who didn't know how to take care of a bra. She probably should have been pissed, her privacy invaded like that. But she was kind of use to Shingo doing stuff like this. The older he got the more curious he got and she was the only older girl he knew.

She picked through the mess, straightening as she went. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. She was going to be spending the night at Mamo-chan's. She had spent the night before but that was before they were a couple and so….close. Sure he had spent many nights in her bed since but it was at her house or Rei's; plenty of other people around. Maybe it would be the same, staying at his place with Chibi-usa there. But her heart was still racing, telling her it wouldn't. Looking down at her drawer again, she silently cursed her "innocent" undergarments. Not that she was sure she was ready to let Mamo-chan see even these childish ones sitting before her.

She still had yet to talk to anyone about 'it'. Whether or not she was ready. She may not get a chance to, this really was something she needed to decide on her own. No matter what her heart and head thought, her body was another matter. The last time they were alone….the last time. A fresh hot blush covered her whole body at the thought of their last 'encounter'. She should at least be prepared in case the night does go that way.

Digging through her drawer again, in hopes of finding something, anything that could pass for sexy. She had to settle for a pair of pink, cotton, bikini cut panties and cotton bra that matched. She quickly took her current outfit off to change into the set. Taking a quick look in the mirror at herself, she found that it didn't really look 'sexy'. She looked nothing like the models in the catalogs or the women in the movies when they were being 'sexy'. But at least it looked like she was trying. And the bra made her breast look full and shapely. She quickly redressed and finished packing.

The ride to Mamo-chan's was not a long one, 20 minutes or so, but it was enough to put Chibi-usa to sleep. She didn't realize the time until they hopped into the car. It was already 8:20, which, for them, was not late at all. But for a little girl of 4 or 5, it might as well be midnight. She had to be about that age because she remembered Shingo use to fall asleep so easily in the car at that age.

Mamo-chan was careful not to wake her as they made their way up to his floor. She carried the bags, Chibi-usa's was oddly light compared to hers. Not that hers was very heavy, but the difference threw off her balance at first. With his hands full, he stopped at his front door acting as if he was unsure what to do next.

"Usako, I need you to get my keys out."

He gestured as much as he could to the front pocket on his pants. She carefully and quickly reached into the pocket, digging around to find the keys. She could feel the heat on her face and Mamo-chan chuckled softly at her innocences. After what seemed like an eternity, she wrapped her fingers around the keys and gingerly pulled them out, being careful not to touch any part of Mamo-chan.

Once inside, Mamo-chan took Chibi-usa to his bedroom. Guess she got the bed tonight. Her skin still heated from being in such a compromising position, she set the bags down in the livingroom and made her way to the balcony.

The cool breeze and chill in the air felt good on her over warmed skin. Pressing cold fingers to her cheeks, she could feel that they were still red hot. She busied her mind with other thoughts as much as possible. Mamo-chan's apartment was on the top floor, and with few apartment buildings coming even close to the same level, there wasn't a whole lot of people watching she could do. Looking up, she was blessed by a full moon before her. In all is magnificent glory, a Holy relic to her and an large part of her past, present, and future. Just like the Earth, the moon would forever circle her, be a part of her. She wondered how the Moon Palace was doing? She hadn't been back since the night she was sent there after defeating Metalania.

All of that seemed like a lifetime ago but it had only been few months since that final battle. And six months since her parents were killed. Murdered by the Negaverse. If they were cruel enough to kill her parents in cold blood, what else where they capable of. And how long till this peace ended and they were all thrown back into the fray. She would like to believe that it was all over, that the Negaverse was their only enemy out there. It was a pretty thought, but a nieve one for sure.

It begged the question, would they ever be done? Would the Earth always be a battlefield of those who sought to control it? Looking out as far as she could see, the lights from homes, apartments, and the Tokyo Tower twinkled back at her. Spots of green winked out between buildings and a mixture of colors coming from the park as the cherry blossoms showed off their colors. It was a planet worth fighting for.

The Moon hung high above her, watching her like the guardian she was. Were her parents watching over her as well? Were they proud of her for being a guardian of justice or disappointed that she continuously put herself and her family in danger? Something inside her told her it was the latter. They would never be happy with her fighting, even if it was to save others.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He had caught her off guard. She turned quickly to face him. He was standing in the doorway, not fully on the balcony yet. As soon as he saw her face, his smile disappeared. She then realised what he saw. She was crying. A few tears had slipped out unchecked, and where staining her cheeks. She wiped them away as quickly as possible but it was too late, he had seen them. She turned away from his inquisitive stare, breaking down her walls of protection. It had been a while since she had cried for her parents but she was far from over it. Especially since learning that they were the second set of parents belonging to her that the Negaverse had killed.

Keeping her back to him, she continued to wipe the tears from her face as few more fell. She listened to his footsteps as he neared her. Even though he was not touching her, he closeness to her radiated his heat onto her causing her to shiver.

He didn't pretend to know what she was crying about. He just took the space next to her, leaning his elbows on the railing. She watched him as his eyes swept over the same city she had just been watching. Then his eyes moved upward to the sky landing on the Moon.

"What does the new Moon Palace look like?" He asked.

She sniffled a little, "It looks just like the original. All white stones and majestic fountains."

"Hmm," he nodded, "If I close my eyes, I can imagine it. I can almost smell the flowers there."

"They were never anything compared to the flowers here."

He shifted his weight so that he was facing her, one elbow on the railing. It was hard not to be entranced by him but she was doing her best. He had the ability to make her release everything no matter how tight she tried to lock it up inside herself. Right now he was doing his best to get her to spill it all to him. Add into the fact that she had promised not to keep anything from him ever again. She decided it was best to continue using the Moon as a distraction.

"You know I came down to Earth a few times before you found me?"

"So you've gotten more of your memories back?"

"Yeah. Have you?"

He shrugged, "A few. Mostly ones of things like training and etiquette lessons."

"Etiquette lessons?" She was thrown off guard by that one.

"Oh yeah, they were big on them back then. You know, how to hold a spoon, how to dance…." he inched closer to her, "how to treat a lady or princess."

Very aware of the nearness of him, she found it harder to breath, "Is that so?"

She was trying to be coy like he was, but she was sure she came off more like a doe in headlights. He continued his slow advance on her till he was close enough rub a single finger up and down her forearm. Even through the fabric of her cardigan, she felt his touch send and electric wave across her skin. He had barely touched her and already her body was going into overdrive. It was becoming very clear that regardless of what she chose, her body was going to do what it wanted.

"Yes well it was all about the chase in those times." He continued.

She had read enough medieval literature recently to know exactly what he was talking about, but it was all about chastity. Is that what he meant by the chase?

"Worship from afar but always be their aid in times of need."

"So is that why you protected me as Tuxedo Kamen for so long? Always coming to my aid?"

He had taken a strand of her hair between two of his fingers and gently twirled it, "Of course."

He kept his eyes on his fingers, admiring his work, feeling bold she turned and faced him, mirroring his casual stance, "Even before you knew who I was?"

They hadn't talked much about the time before 'them'. Other than Mamo-chan's childhood, which was a sad tale, and the occasional story of something her parents did one time.

He didn't even take a moment to think about it, "I always knew you were someone important. Someone I needed to be close to...someone I wanted to be close to," He placed the hair in his hand back where it belonged, behind her shoulder. His hand lingered, running down her shoulder to her elbow, gently pulling her in. She responded by moving in closer till she could place both of her hands on his chest, "and Tuxedo Kamen knew it too."

Now they looked each other squarely in the eyes. The city disappeared behind them. All that was left was each other and the Moon, casting her approving glow over the two lovers. Neither of them moved, as if they were both scared to break the spell that had been cast. But each moment in life is fleeting, and this one was no exception. The wind picked up at that moment. She tried as hard as she could not to shiver but her damn body did as it pleased.

He took a step back, towards the door, "It's still early. Maybe we could watch a movie."

Mamo-chan disappeared back inside the apartment while she stood there stunned at the abrupt end to their little moment. It was surreal, causing her to feel as if she were on a rollercoaster with no end.

She turned to take in the city for a few more minutes when another shiver slowly began to crawl up her spine. It was not from the cold this time, it was like something was slowly crawling up her spine, up her neck, and onto her scalp. It was not a chill, it was dread. Something was not right. Someone was watching her, she could feel it somehow and she could not deny the creeping feeling in her bones. She quickly made her exit back into the safety of the apartment.

Mamo-chan walked back into the living room as she did, carrying pillows and blankets, "Chibi-usa has managed to take up that entire bed with her little body. You are taking the couch, I will take the floor."

She did her best to hide her disappointment. Luckily, he did not look at her while she got comfy on the couch. He handed her the remote and disappeared in the kitchen. A few minutes she heard popcorn popping. She aimlessly flipped through the channels and the demand section, not really paying attention to what she was looking at.

Was it her imagination or was Mamo-chan distancing himself from her? It was like he was having the same inner struggle she was, he just wasn't letting himself get close to her to find out. Otherwise, sleeping together shouldn't have been a problem, given that they had done it so many times before. Something had changed and she desperately hoped it was what she thought it was.

He came back into the room carrying a bowl of popcorn and two bottles of water. Handing her the bowl, he sat down on the floor adjacent to her.

"How about a scary movie?" She asked.

He shrugged, "You think you will be able to sleep after?"

"Mamo-chan I have faced things way scarier than some movie monster."

Before anything else could be said on the matter, she clicked on the one in the horror section with the highest rating. She didn't even pay attention to the title, she just wanted a distraction from it all. Mamo-chan's distance, the battle her mind and body were having, new enemies, peeping toms, strange little girls, all of it.

The movie started out pretty slow. It did nothing to distract her, especially with Mamo-chan's occasional grab of popcorn from the bowl in her lap. But he was focused on the film. She got up, handing him the bowl as she walked in front of the screen towards the bathroom.

She splashed some water on her face and neck. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, seeing nothing worthwhile looking back. How did she get here? Here she is standing in her boyfriend's apartment, her first boyfriend ever, and even after everything they have been through together in this life and their last, she is doubting his feelings for her. Which was just crazy! First she was hoping nothing would happen so she could figure out her feelings, and now she is disappointed that the evening hasn't gone the way she worried it would. She could feel the crazy in her head but she couldn't stop it from forming.

She straightened herself and tiptoed into the bedroom where Chibi-usa slept and her bag was kept. Taking great care not to wake the child, she put on her pjs. She packed her 'nice' ones, no run down tee shirts tonight! They were a tank and shorts set made of white cotton and lace. The lace was only on the edges of the shirt and shorts but it also made up the sleeves of the tank. Little red and pink roses adorned the pjs all over. Mamo-chan was used to seeing her in her oversized tee shirts but she decided to change it up tonight. They were by no means 'sexy' but they looked a lot nicer than her usual. She opted to leave her bra on, even though she rarely slept in a bra given the discomfort it caused but she didn't want her breast exposed. She quickly stepped back into the bathroom to take her hair down and brush her hair and teeth.

She walked back into the living room, still brushing her hair. Mamo-chan was chugging his water and when he looked over to her entrance, he began to choke. He coughed and sputtered for several moments. She rushed to his side, fearful that she had done something wrong.

He was able to get the water out of his lungs so she sat back still on the floor next to him, "Are you okay?"

"...Yeah..I'm alright…" his voice was gruff from all the coughing and he continued to look her up and down, "I should..I should check on Chibi-usa. All this noise might have woken her up."

He left her alone on the floor. Looking to the screen she saw that he had paused it when she left, waiting for her to return to finish it. If it weren't for her current situation she probably would have been fully enthralled in the movie, she was just having a hard time paying attention.

She was just starting to wonder what was taking so long when Mamo-chan returned wearing his pjs, which was apparently a pair of loose, blue and white striped cloth pants and a tight white undershirt. He paused at the sight of her, she still sat on the floor where he left her, then slowly made his way to her as if she were a bird he was trying not to chase off.

He sat down next to her but not touching her and she unpaused the movie. Even with him not touching her, she felt a little better with them at least on the same surface. But when she went to grab the popcorn off of the couch behind them, he moved out of the way like she was contagious with a deadly disease.

The movie began to pick up its pace, killing off a few characters in gruesome ways. It was down to the last handful of characters and you still didn't know what the creature stalking them looked like but you knew the tell tale signs of its approach. One of the characters was being stupid, walking around in the dark alone and you could hear the creature coming. Right before it struck, she hid her eyes in Mamo-chan's shoulder. She felt him tense from her touch, or maybe it was from the movie, either way she moved away from his touch again just in case it was her. She wasn't sure what she had done to cause him to act like this but she did not like it.

As soon as she turned her attention back to the screen, Mamo-chan let out an irritated sigh, "This is ridiculous."

She turned to look at him as he paused the film again, "You don't like the movie?"

He turned to face her fully, "It's not the movie. It's us."

Uh oh. Maybe she didn't want to know. Maybe she wanted to stay blissfully unaware. Well maybe not blissfully but at least better than how it would feel if this were the end.

"I've been trying really hard to slow things down between us."

So she was actually right? He was trying to keep things from moving forward?!

"But then you come out here wearing those….pjs…"

She looked down at herself out of reflex, she knew what she was wearing and it was anything but sexy. Sure it showed skin but no more than her usual pjs that she wore when he was sleeping in her bed every night.

"I was wearing less when you were in the same bed as me." She pointed out.

He put his head in his hand, "I know, I know," he looked back up into her eyes, "it's just getting harder and harder for me to control myself."

It felt like they were hypnotized, drawn in closer and closer to each other, "It's our former selves fault really."

"Yeah those two were really naughty…."

His hot breath touched her lips at the word naughty and then the other shoe dropped. She took away the last millimeter between their mouths and gently touched hers to his. It was like a bomb went off.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in tight. So tight, it should have been painful but to her it felt like they still weren't close enough. Their lips melted together under the heat of their embrace, as it was hard for her to tell where she ended and he began. His tongue danced with hers in a tantalizing manner that had her thinking about what else his tongue could do to her.

He lower them down to the floor, slowly. Now on top of her, he laid in between legs pressing against her most sensitive area. He propped himself up slightly so that his full weight was not on her, but she wanted so badly to feel his whole weight press upon her. His mouth left hers, making a trail down her chin, neck, chest just as he had the other night only this time she prayed he would continue. She arched her back, telling him she wanted him to keep going, but still he stopped at her pjs' neckline. Then he suddenly sat back up away from her.

Before she knew what was really going on, he had pulled his shirt up and over his head. Suddenly, more than anything, she wanted to feel her skin touching his. Sitting up as well before he could stop her, she pulled her top as well, leaving only her pink bra on top. He stayed sitting back for a moment, taking in the sight of her as she did the same to him. Getting down on all fours, he crawled back to her, meeting her lips first without touching anything else. He slowly lowered the rest of his body on top of her. If she thought the touch of his fingertips on her skin was bad, now it felt as if her entire body was on fire. His whole weight was on her now sending delicious shivers up and down her spine.

He rolled the two of them onto their sides, allowing more access to each others' bodies. His hands roamed over her bra, caressing her through the fabric. Then his kisses diverged from her lips once again. Making their trail down..down...down. When he starting kissing the tops of her breast, she reached behind and unhooked her bra. It sat loose on her, still covering her but no longer confining her. He pulled back quickly, the movement not lost on him. Looking to her for approval she gave it to him and he slowly helped her the rest of the way out of it.

He just looked at her. He didn't move, he didn't speak, he just stared. She started to think something was wrong with her until he finally spoke, "You are so beautiful". It came out as a hushed whisper, his voice once again raspy, but this time it was due to desire.

He rolled back on top of her and this time she could feel his most sensitive parts had hardened and were now pressed against hers. Without any experience in what she was supposed to do, her body took over and began to wiggle against him. With his mouth pressed against hers again, he was forced to moan into her mouth from her little dance below the waist. He responded in kind by rubbing against her. Pressing just hard enough to cause sparks. Now it was her time to moan in his mouth. He did it again and again and again. She though for sure they would catch fire from all the sparks. But before they could, he stopped and took his kisses down again.

This time he didn't stop. Kissing her neck, chest, stopping for a moment to give attention to her breast before continuing on down. Ribs, stomach, navel, and then right above the hem of her shorts where he paused. Waiting again for permission, she dug her hands into the hair on top of his head, giving him a gentle push down for a 'Yes'.

He hooked her shorts and underwear with two fingers and she lifted her body to allow him to remove them with ease.

 _ **POP!**_

Mamo-chan sprang up to his feet, protecting her, before it was clear to her what was going on. There was a loud noise that came from the balcony. She got to her feet quickly and hid herself behind Mamo-chan. Not out of fear but out of modesty.

He moved closer to the balcony, silently motioning for her to 'Stay put'. Like she was going to go anywhere like this. She picked up a blanket and wrapped it around herself, fully planning to ignore his orders.

Stepping outside, Mamo-chan was examining the glass door and as she got a little closer, she could see a big dent in the glass like something had hit it.

With a hint of horror in her voice, she asked, "Was it a bird?", knowing full well if it was, it was dead.

He looked around him on the ground, "No body."

"It could have lived." She said hopefully.

Looking again at the glass, "No way. This is really thick glass. It's designed to withstand high winds blowing objects into them. With this much damage, the bird would have imploded."

"So what else could it have been?"

Remaining silent, he looked at his fist, then gently placed it against the dent in his window. Perfect match.

"You mean someone was up here..watching us!" She was mortified and disgusted. A ball formed quickly in her stomach and she felt as though she might throw up.

Mamo-chan quickly shut and relocked the doors. He then quickly fashioned a makeshift curtain out of some sheets he pulled from somewhere. When he finished, he turned to find her sitting on the couch. Still wrapped in not much more than a blanket, she had her arms wrapped around her knees and was staring off into space.

Who the hell would want to watch them? _I mean I guess porn is porn but still what they were doing was illegal, she's not even of age yet._ _TWO CRIMES! And how the hell did they get up here? Suction cups? There is no way they are worth that much trouble._

She barely register that Mamo-chan had returned to her side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. Laying her head on his shoulder, she was finally able to relax again. She felt safe with Mamo-chan and she trusted him with more than just her life.

"Want to finish the movie?" He was trying to lighten the mood.

But she had long forgotten the film and lost interest. Not to mention current events did not need help putting her on edge, "That's a hard no."

He gave a chuckle, "Come on, lay down with me."

They laid back down in the same spot where they had just been wrapped up in passion before it was thrown in the cold shower called fear. She laid on her back, turning her head towards him while he laid on his side, propping himself up on his elbow.

"You know I would never let anything happen to you."

"I know, it's just so icky!"

Her response called him to laugh, "Icky?"

"Yeah it's just so creepy how someone was watching us while we were…."

Flashes of their time together only moments ago echoed across her mind and flesh. There was no way they could get back to that moment tonight, it had been completely ruined by the creeper. But still, the things they were doing, the touching, the kissing. And then Mamo-chan was going to take her pants off….she was suddenly aware that he was watching her. Blush covered her from head to toe.

"I hope that never goes away."

She was confused, "Hope what never goes away?"

He touched her cheek with one finger, "I love making you blush."

His comments only made her blush more and he laughed at her attempts to hide. He pulled the blanket off of her, exposing her flesh, to which she flinch in an attempt to cover herself. He pulled the extracted blanket over himself, moving up against her body.

He gently moved her hands down, uncovering what little bit she was able to conceal. She allowed him to move her as he took in her form again. It was really too late to hide herself now, he has seen it all. Well, most of it.

Pulling her in, their flesh pressed against each other, but it didn't have the same effect as it did earlier. It was more comforting and natural feeling instead of heated and sexual. Her head rested comfortably under his chin and he wrapped his arms around her protectively. With his warmth, comforting protection, and heartbeat, it was impossible for her to stay awake. She soon found herself slipping off into the darkness of her subconscious.

Given the first part to this story, I hope the 'sexiness' of this chapter doesn't upset you guys. I know most probably don't mind but I know that sometimes when the relationship changes for characters it can seem drastic. I felt that, given how they came together and the fact that they are young and beautiful, it was hard to not have their relationship advance. I mean, they are teenagers. But sometimes you just want to read a wholesome fic that matches the relationship the characters had in the Anime. In my defense, I am basing this more off the manga and I swear they have sex after the first real battle after Chibi-usa shows up! At least, that is my interpretation. But let me know what you think. I won't say how things go in the future of this fic so I don't give anything away but if you want to let me know how the development of Usa and Mamo feels for you, I will happily listen!


	4. Chapter 4

Welp, this one is a long one. However, I hope you are not too disappointed in the fact that it is entirely a flash back. I really like this chapter, I do like writing about the Moon Kingdom time arc. I started one a long time ago, and it was epic and pretty good. IDK if I told you guys this but my external hard drive died, taking ALL my work with it. I mean since my days in college and my essays from then. It's part of the reason I have been so slow to get new stuff out.

That said, some of you may be happy to know that I have started the sequel to The Customer is Always Right. Had to re-read it on the website cause, dead hard drive. Any who, I forgot how much I liked that story. But the sequel is going a bit slow for me to be honest. I'll get it out asap but I don't want to rush it and make it not as good.

Any who, enjoy my lovelies!

 **Chapter 4**

" _For the happy man prayer is only a jumble of words, until the day when sorrow comes to explain to him the sublime language by means of which he speaks to God."_

― _**Alexandre Dumas**_ _,_ _ **The Count of Monte Cristo**_

Everything was static and silent. The warm sun flittered on her face but yet no birds swang to wake her. Opening her eyes, she found the assault of the sun's brightness too much for her tired eyes and had to shield them. The silk sheets poured off of her body like pools of melted metal as she slowly sat up. Cool marble met her feet, with the hem of her night gown to follow soon after.

The first thing that met her eyes was a full length mirror. Her reflection almost startled her, till she realized it was just herself in the mirror. Her hair was a bit disheveled, having coming undone in the night, but her nightgown was miraculously wrinkle free, white silk hanging from her shoulders to her ankles. Her gold moon stood out brightly on her pale face and pale gold hair. She was at the moon kingdom. Another memory. She knew it was best not to fight it, to relax and let her former self show her what she needed to see. Relaxing her inner subconscious, she let her past take over, becoming a passenger in her own body.

Soon she was not alone, handmaids entered her room.

"Good morning Princess Serenity," they said in perfect, creepy unison.

"Good morning Mary, Flora."

The two were older than her but not by much. Mary had long dark brown hair that fell in beautiful waves down her back and shoulders. Flora had black hair, short and super curly, sticking close to her head. Both had dark skin, from years of working out in the sun before they obtained their positions in the palace.

Flora got to her first, gently pushing her into the chair at her vanity. She began the tedious task of brushing out her hair. Mary put herself to work making her bed and putting fresh flowers in her vase. Then she pulled out clothes for her to wear. Mary was good at putting an outfit together, but just once she would like to pick something out for herself.

Finishing her hair, Flora turned her towards the bed which now housed her cloths for the day, a light blue gown made of a thin silk. It had short sleeves and a square neckline with a small line of lace on the edging.

They helped her slip it on over her tightened corset, which made just the 'right' amount of breast pop out of the neckline of the gown. It fit tight on her arms and chest, loosened a little on her ribs and stomach, then fell in loose pleats on her waist and legs. The material was soft and luxurious but thin, giving her a chill inside the cool palace.

The two women set about pulling jewelry for her, a silver chain made of moon and star shapes was placed around her wrist, wrapping around three times. Small diamond studs were put in her ears and a small pearl necklace that hung just above her collarbones was clasped in place.

Finally satisfied with their work, she was released to her day. First, was breakfast with her mother and the occasional delegate or adviser. Today was no exception. Her mother and one of her top advisers talked business the entire breakfast. She listened in and gave responses when it was considered respectful for her to. An agreement here and disagreement there. They were mostly talking about the upcoming harvest festival and Earth relations. Plans were on schedule and the Earth and the Moon were still not on good terms blah blah blah. Breakfast couldn't have ended sooner.

Not that she had anything else to rush to. All of her dear friends were back home for the week, readying for their own harvest festivals. Even her cousin Mina was back on Venus. The thought brought tears to her eyes, she already missed her friends so much. But she couldn't cry, they would be mad at her for letting their absence ruin her days. Putting on a brave face, she headed towards the gardens.

She strolled them twice before giving up. She was bored.

Inside wasn't much better. Maids and butlers scuttled about preparing the Palace for the upcoming festival as well. The Lunar Kingdom would soon be filled with guest from all over. Every planet had agreed to come. She listened in on their gossip as they worked, none of them minded her presence, they knew her well enough that they could talk freely around her. Apparently the big topic today was that Earth had actually agreed to come. It would be the first time Earthen Royalty would be on the premises or the planet in 100 years!

She couldn't believe it herself but if it were true, wouldn't her mother have mentioned it this morning? She just chalked it up to rumor, but everyone was talking about it. Could it possible be new news? Something that happened after she left the table? Or was her mother keeping it secret from her?

Seeking out the truth, she began to wonder the halls of the Palace looking for her mother. She made her way to the West wing which made up of offices and official meeting spaces for delegates and royal representatives. Occasionally Royals would meet her mother here when they had official business to attend to but it was rare for there to be an issue that couldn't be solved by representatives.

Not only could she not find her mother, she couldn't find herself! She was actually lost! She had been in the West wing a number of times but never alone. There was always someone showing her where to go and sit. She was sure she had NEVER seen this part of the Palace before, the stone was different than the rest of the marble that made up its walls and floors. This marble had grey mixed into it. If she was remembering her countless lessons on the history of the Moon kingdom correctly, this was an older part of the Palace, made of marble from Earth instead of Mars like the rest of the Palace. This part represented the once harmonious relationship the two planets had.

She had come to the end of the line. All that stood before her were two large wood doors. There was nothing special about the doors, they were quite plain actually. That is what caught her attention to them as every door in the Palace had some kind of ornate carvings on them.

The wood was old and splintering. They had not been taking care of them. Whatever was behind this door was of little importance as the doors were clearly expected to never be touched. However, it was not locked she found as the heavy metal latch flicked upwards with little effort. The strain of movement foreign for the hinges as they squeaked so loudly she was sure the whole Palace heard it. She waited to see if anyone was coming, but there was no movement down the hall of closed doors.

The room was dark, pitch black. There were no sounds within its walls. The heavy door slammed behind her leaving her lost in darkness. Fear crept into her bones but she continued deeper into the room. She tripped on something, propelling her deeper. The room came to life at her presences. Lights switched on above her and machines warbled with life. Small blinking lights of every color covered the dashboards of the large machine that filled the room. On the wall in front of her were stones of different shapes and colors. As she got closer, she could see that she recognized some of them. There was lava rock from Mars, a porous coral stone from Mercury, a beautiful yellow marble from Venus, and a piece of petrified wood from Jupiter. The others she didn't recognize and they were all strange and freaky. Then her eyes landed on a strange but beautiful stone. It was milky in color but a little see through, showing inside a pink color. (AKA a Rose Quartz for those of you not up on your rocks!)

She reached up and touched the stone, feeling its course texture, when the floor fell out from under her. She was swept up in a wave of darkness that tossed her back and forth. Nausea was just about to set in when she was found herself on solid ground again.

Opening her eyes, her breath caught in her chest. The sun was setting, casting golden rays across a golden land. There were trees, real trees surrounding her. She knew they were real because their leaves had changed from the evergreen color they were on the moon, to yellows and reds, and oranges. The golden sun only made their colors brighter.

The wind picked up, casting a chill across her. She was not dressed for the weather here. On the Moon, it was always warm thanks to the magic bubble placed over the Palace to create a livable atmosphere. Here, they needed no such magic. The air was clean and fresh, crisp from the cool air.

She had no idea where she was but it was easily more beautiful than the Moon, which was saying a lot since the Moon is considered the most beautiful place in the galaxy by most.

Everywhere she turned she saw beauty, overwhelming beauty. It was almost too much to bear. That was when she saw it. Hanging heavy in the sky, still not fully visible thanks to the Sun, was the Moon, her home. It was so close and so beautiful from this planet. She was on Earth.

The realization was both startling and terrifying. Lunars were not allowed on Earth. If any Earthan saw her and realized who she was, she would be put to death! Or worse, held for ransom. She needed to get back...but there was no one around...she was in the middle of an empty field, no one was around for miles. Surely she was safe for a little while to do some exploring.

Taking her first real step, something crunched under her heel. Looking down she found dried leaves now brown from their descent from the trees. The grass was still green but had a few browning patches. This must be the fall she had read about in her books. Earth and its histories were not taught in the Lunar curriculum, but she had found a few books on the planet in the royal library. She found the planet fascinating.

The sun was very low now, only a few dim rays remaining, when she stumbled on a few small houses. This was far enough today, she wasn't prepared to be seen and she was getting very cold. She made her way back to the spot that she landed. It didn't occur to her till then that, she may not be able to take herself back. She had seen her mother do it a few times, but it required the use of her mother's powers. Her mother was very strong, she could transport multiple people back without the use of any helpers like the room that sent her here. Probably why the room was so forgotten. The technology was antiquated and un-needed as so few traveled without a ship or the Queen, who rarely traveled period.

She thought back to what she had seen her mother do so many times before. All she seemed to do was close her eyes and concentrate. But what else did she do?! Oh Goddess how was she going to get home?!

She did all that she could. Closing her eyes, she concentrated her strength. She felt warmth spread across her as her power flowed through her body. Using her mind, she thought of the Moon; the Palace, garden, her bedroom. She filled her thoughts with home.

Opening an eye to peek at her surroundings, she found herself still planted on Earth. She squeezed her eyes tight, "Please, Goddess of the Moon, take me home!"

Her power burned under her skin, then just as quickly as it came, it was gone leaving her cold and very weak. She was almost afraid to open her eyes. But relief flooded her as she opened her eyes for she found herself back in the strange room.

She barely made up to her room, the trip back drained almost all of her energy. She didn't even have the energy to eat. She flopped on her bed, gown, corset and all.

She didn't even stir till morning. Her handmaidens came in to dress her usual, but they chastised her for not calling them to change her for bed. Her dress was horribly wrinkled and they worried for her health, sleeping in a corset.

She only half listened to them. All she could think about was going back to that beautiful blue planet.

The rest of her week went pretty much the same; breakfast with the Queen, sneaking off as soon as she could to the transport room, spending as much time as she could on the beautiful planet. Everyday she made it a little farther into her surroundings. Discovering all sorts of plants and wildlife she had only ever seen in books. But today was going to be special.

Yesterday she had found a rather large village. She watched from a distance as the people of Earth milled around, buying and selling goods, children laughing in the streets, and just so much chaos. It looked wonderful. But she couldn't just walk into the middle of a crowded town the way she was. So she took care to remember how to get to it so she could prepare and go today!

Her handmaidens dressed her, but as soon as they were done she claimed a headache, which got her out of breakfast and had her handmaidens out the door. They were too busy with preparations anyways to fuss over her too much. They recommended bed rest, as she expected, and left her alone in her room.

She quickly removed the fancy gown they had dressed her in for the day and traded it for the most 'common' gown she had. It was the one she wore for picnics with the girls. It a light pink cotton dress, the thin material would be too cold on Earth this time of year so she quickly pulled on a pair of tights. The gowns sleeves were a little longer than her other dresses, coming to her elbows and the neckline was rounded and plain, lacking any adornments. It fit snuggly to her chests, ribs, and belly, flaring out only at her hips. It ended right at her ankles, hiding the tights beneath. A small belt to sit loosely on her waist would serve as a means to store any goods she was able to find or buy. She looped the strings of a small coin purse around it. Putting on some sensible shoes and grabbing a wool cloak, she was ready to go. She dared not to wear any jewelry for fear of any of it giving away her identity or an air of wealth. She wanted to blend in completely.

She contemplated taking the signature Lunar Royalty hairstyle down, but since she could do little to cover her lunar mark on her forehead, she decided to leave it and never take her hood off once inside the town.

Sneaking down to the transportation chamber unseen was the trickiest part. Everyone was up in arms cleaning, decorating, and straightening. But even with every man, woman, and the occasional child running around the palace, they were distracted with their own tasks. She was able to make it to the chamber and to Earth without incident.

Once back to her usual landing spot, she took off, throwing the cloak over her shoulders and pulling the hood up along the way. She arrived soon after daybreak and the town was already a bustle of action.

The sellers called out their craft to all who entered the square and everything was for sell. She managed to wrangle up a few coins from her collection of Earthen artifacts and they jingled in her coin purse tied to hip. The real question was, what to buy! She wanted more than anything to try some Earthen fruit. Especially something called an apple.

As if on cue, an older woman called out to no one in particular, "Apples! Apples!"

Turning, she found the woman with ease as she held out a beautiful red apple. Walking over to her cart, she saw that it was full of all types of apples and they were all different colors. Her eyes swept hungerly over them, unsure which one to pick.

The woman loomed close to her, making sure she wasn't going to steal, "Would you like an apple? Only six pence!"

"Oh yes please. I'm just..not sure which one to get."

The woman began pointing at all the different apples, "That's the Granny apple," she said pointing to a bright green colored one, "and that is a red delicious, a golden delicious, a pink lady, a…."

The woman continued, but she had stopped listening when she saw the golden apple. It looked like it tasted like gold. When the woman stopped talking, she continued to look expectantly at her.

"I'll take the gold one please."

The woman seemed a bit taken back by her formal gestures. But handed her the apple she craved just the same. She in return handed her a coin and started to walk away.

She was less than a foot away when the woman called after her, "Hey wait!"

She stopped in her tracks, had she been figured out?! The woman raced up to her while she looked for a place to escape, but the woman reached her first, "You gave me too much dear. I need to give you change."

Oh. Was that all? "It is fine. You keep it."

The woman stood in shock as she walked away. Just how much had she given the woman? It couldn't have been much, it was just one gold coin. She dared to peek back to see the woman was looking at the coin with tears of joy in her eyes. It must have been a lot. But the woman was overjoyed so she did not regret her choice.

Stopping to sit on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square, she took her first bite of the apple. Her teeth sunk deeply into its flesh, tearing easily through the skin with a crunch. Its sweet juice filled her mouth. She had never tasted something so amazing made by nature. The Moon had its fruits and they were all delicious but had to be cooked first or they were hard as rocks. She had never had a fruit that she could just, eat.

The juice dribbled down her chin, making a mess, but she was in the zone eating her apple. It wasn't until a handkerchief was put in her face that she even noticed anything outside of her little world. The figure stood before her, the sun directly behind them blocking her view of whomever they might be.

She took it cautiously, "Thank you."

He laughed, or she assumed it was a man given the deepness of his voice. His laugh was sweet and light full of joy and mirth. However, she was not accustomed to being laughed at. She quickly wiped her chin handed it back in a bit of a huff. Then, with her head held high not giving him the courtesy of her eye, stood and left him standing there.

Finishing her apple, she walked back through the market. She stopped here and there, purchasing more fruits to try. She got some grapes, a few tomatoes, and something called herbs that looked like weeds but each had a different shape and smell. Her favorites were the basil and the mint which such sweet fragrances, she couldn't imagine cooking them. Each time she gave the vendor a gold coin to which they each tried to give her change. But each time she let them keep it no matter how they protested. A few of them shut up their shop as soon as she left, others just cried. How much money was she giving them anyways? It couldn't have been much but they acted as if it was a great gift from the heavens above. She loved brightening their days but it also saddened her that so little made them so happy. How poor were these Earthens treated if a small gold coin made them so happy?

With her coin purse empty and no room left in her bag for anything else, she was ready to head home, when a hand grabbed her roughly, pulling her into a small, secluded corner. He pushed her hard against a wall, the rocky surface dug into her back, surely bruising her. The hand released her arm and returned to cover her mouth. Her head was knocked against the wall, jumbling up her thoughts and stealing her concentration. It wasn't until the knife was pressed to her neck that she was brought back to the moment.

His face was close to hers, allowing for his rank breath to mingle with hers. He grinned wickedly at his prize making her skin crawl.

"Scream, and I'll slit your throat so wide, it will be the last thing you do." He pressed the knife deeper into her flesh for emphases.

She nodded carefully in agreement with his terms and his hand slowly slid off her mouth and on to the wall behind her blocking any chance of a quick and clean escape. Even if she could run, the blade was pressed so tight, any movement would slice her neck in half. So she stood as still as a statue.

"You've been running around town all day flashing your coins...GIVE THEM TO ME!" He said it with a quiet force that almost caused her knees to buckle. But if she didn't keep it together and keep herself still, her blood would be all over the small alley.

Not waiting any longer, he ripped her coin purse from her belt. Finding it empty, he became enraged, pressing the knife even harder on her throat. She felt warmth trickle down her throat. He had drawn blood.

She had no idea what Earthen blood looked like and feared this man had just found out her big secret. But when he looked back at her blood, he seemed unfazed. She was safe, at least from discovery. But the man held her still even though he knew she had no money. What else could he possibly want from her. Then his face turned cold and wicked, and she got her answer.

She had seen that look a handful of time when suitors came to meet her. Each one had given her the same greedy, lustful look, which led her to yet pick a suitor for engagement. Her mother was not happy about it but she understood and didn't push, always saying, 'You will have to choose someday Serenity'.

Her privilege of choice gave her little comfort in this moment as her choice was about to be made for her by this man with the crooked nose and yellow teeth. Keeping the knife where it was, his hands began to make work of her clothes. Pulling up her skirt so the hem rose higher and higher..

"Please," a tear slid out and down her cheek, "Please don't do this."

He pressed hard on the knife again and leaned in close to her face, "Shut your mouth or I'll make this last much longer than you can stand."

Tears continued to fall freely down her face as the man continued his assault. He just laughed at her pain, enjoying his sick little game. Her hem had reached her upper thigh. One more pull and there would be little between him and her virtue.

He was just about to make his last tug. She squeezed her eyes tight and prayed silently to the Goddess above to save her somehow. There was a sick pop and a thud. The knife had left her neck and her dress had fallen back to the ground. Opening her eyes, the man was on the ground, no longer grinning and cocky with blood covering his face. Another man stood over him with his back to her. He had no weapon that she could see and he said nothing to the man, but he cowered on the ground below the man just the same.

His voice sputtered as he tried to speak, "I'm ssssorry, my lord. Please, have mercy."

The man responded but he was so quiet, she couldn't hear a word. Her adrenaline began to wain and blood filled her ears to replace it making it difficult for her to hear or think. She lost track of her assailant and her 'hero' took her by the arm, leading her away from the scene. Two more bodies rushed past her into the alley which was now behind her.

The man had gripped both of her arms to steady her. His touch was much gentler than the ones that grabbed her moments before. But nonetheless, they were the hands of a strange man, once again pulling and directing her against her will. He was leading her away from the market. The noise of people faded away and soon she was alone again with a strange man.

Her senses returned and her fight or flight begged her to take action. But her body and mind couldn't decide on an action, so she went for broke and did them both.

Using the element of surprise, she pulled herself out of his grasp and punched him squarely in the jaw. He let out a grunt and took a step back, unprepared for her to fight. Then she turned on her heel and ran for it.

Lost. She was lost. The man had led her to some kind of garden maze. Probably to make her escape that much harder for her. She managed to find the middle after what seemed like ages of running into dead ends. But she had no idea how to escape the maze. The middle held a mixture of beautiful flowers in late bloom. They had yet to meet the same fate as the leaves on the trees. Their fragrance was intoxicating but did little to calm her nerves. There were several benches placed all around the small garden within the maze's middle. She picked the closest one and plopped down, very unlady like.

Her neck stung as her sweat mixed with the fresh cut on her neck. Touching it, she found that the blood had yet to fully dry, it stuck thickly to her fingers. Her neck would heal in no time, Lunars heal pretty quickly. If she didn't exert herself, it would be almost healed by the time she made it home. Her hand was a different story. It burned inwardly and she found it hard to move her fingers.

The sound of water trickling took her attention away from her hand. There was a small fountain in the corner. She crouched beside it, using the water to wash her neck. The blood floated and swirled, disappearing as it was overcome by the water. Then she dipped her swollen hand into the cool water. The heat was subdued a little. She flexed her fingers under the water, they were stiff but the cold water helped. Looking over her reflection, she found a mess. Her cloak had come loose, to the point that her hair was showing. She had just fixed it when a voice came from behind her.

"That is some right hook you've got."

Standing and turning, she put her fist and her best fight face on. It must have been the man from before, the one who 'saved her' but then led her here. She didn't get a good look at him before but a bruise had formed from where she struck him.

Other than her fist mark, his face was...perfect. Black hair fell on his forehead, attempting to cover his deep blue eyes, but it failed. His mouth was curved into a smile and he held his hands out as a show of surrender. His clothing was fine, finer than any of the townspeople she had seen. His dark blue tunic had gold thread weaved in intricate and elaborate designs all across his broad chest. All of his clothes were fine, save for his cloak which was tattered and torn. It stood out against the rest with it's ratty appearance.

He was beautiful. Even with the ratty cloak and bruised chin. But he was still a stranger and he was still after her.

He noticed that she didn't change her stance, she was still ready to fight. But this only caused him to chuckle. She recognized the laugh, it was the same one she heard earlier. He was the man who gave her his handkerchief.

"You've been following me?"

He was unfazed by the accusation, "Only to get my handkerchief back."

She hadn't realized she kept it. "Is it a custom where you come from to take what is offered and leave a man so offensively?"

She quickly found the item and showed it to him, still not ready to get close enough to return it to him, "If you don't want to give an item away, you shouldn't offer it to someone."

"Like the man in the alley?" He quipped.

"Excuse me?!" Now she was getting mad.

"You went all over town flashing your gold around. Of course he tried to take it."

How dare he talk to her that way, "That gold went to good, hard working people who deserved the comfort that it would bring them!"

"I agree, but that doesn't mean you weren't careless."

She didn't realize that the two of them had moved closer to one another. He had provoked her into dropping her guard. She was so foolish. He was right, she had been careless. She could feel the tears welling up, they burned behind her eyes. She begged them not to fall but they would not listen.

His face softened and she let out a sob. He lowered her to a bench and settled himself next to her, but she hardly cared, the shock of the events she hitting her too hard to care.

He moved, kneeling before her, a few inches from her but he did not place a finger on her, "Now, now, everything is alright. You are safe now. I won't let any harm come to you ever again."

His promise was sweet and reassuring. Without thinking, she pressed his handkerchief to her face but quickly realized her error, "I'm sorry."

She tried to hand it back to him, but he put up a hand in refusal, "No. You keep it. Let it be a reminder of me."

She laughed, "It will be hard to forget you."

He used a finger to lift her chin up and inspect her neck, "It's a nasty cut. It will leave a scar. I hope that is not how you plan to remember me."

Taking his handkerchief from her hands, he pressed it gently against the cut. She was suddenly aware of just how close his was to her. He smelled sweet but she could not place the scent, she only knew that she liked it. She breathed in deep, hoping to store the smell in her memory.

"What will happen to the man? The one who attacked me?"

His eye flicker briefly to hers, then back to the cut, "He will be hanged."

She gasped and pulled away from him grasp, "No! No you can't do that!"

He furrowed his brow, "He commited a crime. A heinous one at that," he seemed to be seething, "what he tried to do to you…" anger rolled off him in waves.

She probably should have been scared and stopped, but she couldn't give up, "No. I beg you. Spare his life. I couldn't bare it, knowing someone had been killed on my behalf."

"He almost killed you! And it's not just for you, it is the punishment given for such a crime."

She got down on her knees as well, facing him and clasping her hands, begging, "Please, I implore you. Do not let him punishment be death. Perhaps you can talk to someone? Let them know that, no real harm was done. Give him a chance to apologize, give him a chance to live and change his ways. Please!"

She could feel the tears burning in her eyes again as she begged. She had never begged for anything before in her life, but the idea of a life ending, crime or not, broke her heart.

He stared, stunned by her display. His anger melted away quickly, "Alright...I will….talk to someone for you."

She leaped on him, forgetting her place, "Thank you, thank you so much!"

He didn't wrap his arms around her to return the hug, but that let her keep it quick as her senses quickly returned to her, realizing what she was doing. The handkerchief in his hand was stained light pink from the remaining blood on her neck. It would be the last reminder of the cut she received. Which meant she needed to leave, soon. Sticking around would mean an Earthen seeing how quickly her neck healed. She knew a few things about Earthens themselves, but one thing she knew for sure was that they did not heal as quickly. It was one of the reasons Earthens did not like Lunars.

The man was still on his knees in shock when she took the opportunity to try and make another break for it.

"Thank you for your help kind sir. Now if you will excuse me…" She made it to her feet but not much further.

The man quickly grabbed her hand, stopping her escape, "Unless you want to continue to wonder around this maze, I suggest you allow me to escort you to the exit."

She had completely forgotten her predicament. She could spend another hour or more wandering or she could just let the beautiful man lead her out. Tough choice.

He let go of her hand, stood, and offered her his arm. Last chance to make a run for it. She hesitated, considering her options once more. She had no choice. Taking his arm, she let herself be led out back into the maze.

It took the man less than ten minutes to lead her out of the maze. She was so close yet so far from getting out herself. The man was silent the entire way but she could feel his eyes examining her. It made her nervous, and not just because she feared he would figure out her lineage.

Who was this man? He must be from a rich family. He was well groomed in both his looks and his manners. But she knew so little about the people of Earth, maybe they were all like this? Save for the people in the square, who were very nice but certainly lacking training.

Once they exited the maze, she released her hold of his arm and tried to make as polite of an exit as she could.

She gave a small curtsey, "Thank you for all your help...sir.."

"Endymon. Sir Endymon." He returned her curtsey with a small bow, earning a smile from her in return.

"Thank you, sir Endymon. I owe you my life. Now if you would please excuse me, I should be heading home now."

She walked past him without him stopping her this time, only walking a few steps away before….

"And your name?"

She turned back to him, "Excuse me?"

"Your name?"

Her mind raced. This was not good. She had no idea what kind of names Earthens had but she knew Serenity would be a strange name.

"You don't need to know my name. I'm no one."

She quickly turned, hoping to make it away from him before he could press her any further.

No such luck.

He jumped in front her path, stopping her dead, "Is it another custom, where your from, to take a name and not give one in return?"

"And just, pray tell, makes you so sure I'm not from here?"

He scoffed, "You are most certainly not from around here!"

She crossed her arms, annoyed, "Alright, so I'm not from this particular town…."  
"Oh it's much more than that. You are not even from this continent are you?"

In school, she remembered that the continents were the separate pieces of land that made up the land. Each one had a representative that lead the continent but they all reported back here to this kingdom.

He continued his investigation, "So where are you from? The Northeast? They are all pretty pale like you."

The nerve of this man! She took back what she thought before, this man had no manners whatsoever!

"It is not your business where I am from and neither is my name for that matter."

Walking around him, she continued her escape. Teaching this man, Endymon, manners was not her priority. Not now.

He quickly caught up to her, following along beside her, "I'm sorry, your right. It was rude of me to make assumption about your lineage. But, surely, a name would be a worthy reward for saving your life?"

She had forgotten her own manners. The man had saved her from a fate worse than death. But she had no name, not one she could use. She thought back to her studies with no success. She gave the only name she could think of. The only one that transcended Earthen and Lunar relations.

"Selene."

"Selene..huh."

Stopping in her tracks to face his rude face, "What? What is wrong with that name?"

He, however, did not stop, "Nothing. It just..suits you."

He was leaving her behind. Now it was her turn to catch up. She had no idea where she was or how to get back to the square for that matter. If she could get back to the square then she would be fine the rest of the way. Maybe this Endymon could still be of some use to her.

"Excuse me, Endymon. But could you take me back to the square? I fear I'm still a bit lost out here."

He turned and bowed once more, "It would be my honor, Lady Selene."

Being called a Lady was a demotion from her actual status, but it was still nice to hear. He gave her his arm again and started leading her around. Then he turned sharply. She may not have known the way back to the square but she knew that it was in the other direction.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Shortcut."

That was all he said. It wasn't long until they came upon a large wall covered in vines. It was several feet high and went on for what seemed like miles in both directions.

"Some shortcut. Are you sure you know where you are going?"

He smiled, "Oh ye of little faith."

He reached deep into the vines. There was a strange click and then out of nowhere the wall opened under his hand, swinging open towards the two of them. It was a small door, naked to the eye. Except for those who knew where it layed. The sun shone brightly through the small opening, giving off the appearance that the door led straight to heaven. She hesitated, after all, her luck with trusting Earthens had not gone as expected. This could be a trap. But curiosity got the better of her.

Stepping through, she was sure she had stepped into heaven. It was a garden. One like she had never seen before. So many variations of flowers, so many colors. And the smell, so sweet. It beat the basil and mint easily.

"What is this place?" She said it as a whisper, as that was all she could muster.

He answered her just the same, "The Royal garden."

Her heart stopped. The Royal garden? As in part of the palace? She was that close to the Earthen palace? She had no clue! Of course the transportation room would put her close, it was designed to meet with the royals of this planet. But landing in a field...she hadn't even considered being this close. They must have moved the castle since the dissolution of faith in the Lunars.

She could not be here. If any of the royals saw her they would recognize her in a heartbeat. They may not know exactly who she is, but they would know she was a Lunar. They taught their Royals at a young age what Lunars look like so that they did not 'bewitch' them and take over their kingdom. It was a ridiculous notion, no Lunar had ever seduce an Earthen that she knew of. A Venetian, sure, but it wasn't a part of Lunar's powers to be seductive or even in their nature to be.

They equate it to our 'unparalleled beauty' but even that didn't hold. They had clearly never seen her cousin Mina or her mother. They could easily bring a nation to their knees if they so desired.

Without warning, she made her way back towards the door when he unceremoniously shut it before she could leave.

"Where are you going?" He had a mischievous smile on his face. Like he was trying to get her in trouble.

"I can't be here." She said it before she thought it through and it earned her a curious look in return. Before he could ply her with questions, "Surely this place is not open to comeners like us."

He looked at her like she had grown a second head, "No, it is always open to the public. Well except for this week. Apparently the Royals are preparing for the Harvest festival."

"You see. Then it is closed to us."

She made for the door again only to be stopped by him again, "Look, the fastest way back to the square is through this garden. It is just on the other side over there," he pointed and she looked, it didn't look like it was that far away, "besides, this is a much better way to go. And you should see the garden before you leave. It is worth it, believe me."

She looked at him and back at the way he claimed the square was. He did get her out of the maze like he promised.

"Alright. But let us be quick please."

The garden was amazing. And her guide knew the names of every flower. He must have visited here often. There were so many varieties, she could hardly remember a handful of them. Each one was beautiful and special in their own way.

Her favorites were; the Peony, its big buds reminding her of clouds at sunset; Hydrangeas, each bud seemed to have a thousand flowers; and the sunflower, it's happy face so big and full.

Then he took her down a different path, she barely registered that he had turned her in a different direction from the square. But she was enjoying herself so much she didn't care.

The path was narrow but well worn. Even before they reached the next garden, she could smell it. The sweet smell of the mysterious flower washed over them so heavily it made her gasp in surprise. Endymon just laughed and kept pulling her along with him.

Then the path opened up to the most glorious field of flowers. Pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, each color was represented by the flower. And each thick, short bush held thousands of them. It seemed to on and on, unending. Row after row of the beautiful flower and an endless assault on her senses, that she gladly welcomed.

She could feel him watching her. He had watched her every move since she had met him. It was unsettling at first, she worried he would figure her out. But now it was almost comforting, to know he was watching over her while she explored this strange planet.

"Surely the Lady knows the name of this flower?"

He had a wide smile on his face, taunting her. He must think she is so knowledgeable. She hadn't known the name of a single flower yet. But at least she knew this one. Earth was famous for them. She had been able to read extensively on them and it was a flower she desperately hoped to see while she was on Earth.

"Rose," turning to relish in his shocked expression, "it is called the rose."

His shock quickly turned back into a smile and she turned her attention back to the beauty before her.

"I have been looking forward to seeing this flower. I'm surprised that it took me so long to find it. I thought roses were extremely common on Ear...Eastern Europe."

She caught herself but no doubt he noticed her slip. But he just nodded his head, "It was. But with wars and diseases attacking the plant, most had died out. That is until the Queen took it upon herself to bring it back. She managed to procure a few plants to start and now she has over a thousand."

"Amazing."

"Yes. Her majesty has quite the green thumb. She still comes out everyday to take care of them. Of course now she needs help to do so."

Looking across the vast field of beautiful and well kept roses, it was hard to believe such a caring woman was also okay with hanging criminals. The two did not fit together in her mind. What kind of ruler would she be?

"It was her that opened this garden to the public you know," pulled from her thoughts, she turned to him, "she said that 'such beauty should be shared with all mankind'."

Funny. She was sure the same thing was said about Lunars.

She must have made a face because his face changed as well, "You don't agree?"

Uncomfortable with how easy a read she was, she turned away from him to inspect the roses closer. She reached down trying to pull a rose a little bit closer to her nose. But, she stuck her finger on a thorn.

She pulled her hand back quickly but the damage had been done. A small cut on her finger, so thin it was hard to see, til blood began to pool from it. 'Silly Lunar, you forgot about the thorns' she cursed herself.

Endymon quickly grabbed her hand and stuck her finger in his mouth before she could get a word in edgewise. His tongue licked her finger and the blood away. Part of her feared her blood would taste noticeably different from an Earthian's and the other part was caught up in how close he was to her. But were dangerous and made her heart race impossibly fast.

He pulled her finger back out of his mouth and inspected it. Coming to his senses, he noticed how close they were to one another. It didn't catch him off guard as much as it did her. His eyes felt as if they were penetrating her down to her soul and she silently prayed there were no tell tale signs of Lunar in her face.

He brushed a piece of hair that had slipped out of her hood back inside, "Silly little rabbit, this roses bite."

He was so incredibly close, she had never been this close to a man willingly. She breathed in his scent again, realizing that the scent that she couldn't recognize before was the same as the roses she was now surrounded by. She examined his beautiful face, taking note of every freckle and scar, like the little one next to his nose. His eyes were a dark blue but they had flecks of gold within them. They were trained on her, doing what she suspected, the same thing she was doing to him. But then his eyes darted away, looking at something in the distance behind them.

"Oh no," was all he said before he grabbed her and forced her down.

The two of them were crouched behind the rose bushes, "What are you doing!" She all but screamed.

But he quickly put a hand over her mouth. Then she heard it, voices. It sounded like a mixture of men and women, talking a chatting away. She could only make out a few words here and there, but the two words that made her heart stop was, "Your Majesties". It was the King and Queen. What were the chances that they would be in this very garden right now?! If anyone was to recognize where she was from and who she was on sight, it was them!

He knelt before her, his hand still over her mouth, staring straight into her eyes again. He slowly lowered his hand, blushing his fingers against her lips as he went. She could feel his hot breath on her face, that was how close he was to her. He leaned in a little closer, then hesitated as if he was unsure of what his was about to do. She felt as if her entire being had turned to jelly. Forgetting her current situation, entranced by him, she leaned forward just a little as well.

Then the party was right next to them. The were a mere row over. She held her breath, fearful they would hear them.

"The roses are stunning, just stunning your Majesty. How ever did you bring back this dying race?"

She laughed, "With hard work and dedication."

"Yes, Esmeralda worked very hard on this project of hers." A deep voice answered.

The laughing followed them as they moved further down the row till silence returned to the garden.

He stood up first, checking to see if the coast was clear. Then he quickly pulled her to her feet and back out of the garden.

"This was a mistake. We can't let them see you."

"Why, because the garden is closed? What is the punishment for trespassing here?"

He didn't stop, he didn't even look at her, he just said, "No because your a Lunar."

At first, she was shocked. Pulled along by his force alone, she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

Wait a minute.

She ripped her hand from his, "How long have you known?!"

He sighed, annoyed as if it was so obvious, and finally turned to look at her, but he didn't say a word, he didn't need to.

"You knew the whole time didn't you!"

"Well you didn't do a very good job of hiding it!" He was yelling at her now, like it was her fault.

"How? Just tell me. How was it so obvious?"

He took a step to her, closing the gap, grabbing her hand again, this time holding up a single finger, "Your cut is already healed."

"It was a shallow cut."

He narrowed his eyes at her then gripped her chin, lifting it upwards, "Your neck is completely healed, not even a scar," he said touching her neck on the spot.

She pulled away from his grasp but he didn't stop, "And then there's your hair, your skin, your complete lack of general knowledge, and…"

"STOP….just stop. I get it."

"If any of those..Royals get one look at you, it is over. You will be thrown in jail or worse."

She remembered the fate of the man from before and vaguely wondered if her cell would be near his.

It occurred to her that she might as well come clean, he already knew she was a Lunar. The rest was not that much worse. She had probably put him in grave danger, associating with her kind.

"They won't do any of that."

"You don't know that. You don't know what they are like."

"No, they won't do any of that because it's worse. It's worse than you think Endymon."

She pulled down her hood and his jaw hit the floor. He quickly raced up to her and pulled the hood back on.

"A ROYAL Lunar? What the hell were you thinking coming here?!"

"I just...I wanted to see Earth. I had only ever seen it from a distance. Hanging like a big blue marble outside my window."

"Well now you may just die on this big blue marble. There is no way I can get you to the transportation dias. The palace is way too busy today."

"Just get me to the square, please."

He took her hand again, pulling her this way and that down path after path. Everything winded around her. Finally they reached the square, it was not as close as he had led her to believe, and he pulled her in closer to him, as if his body would hide her. It seemed to work because no one would even look at the two of them.

The sun was already beginning to set. It would be nightfall before she reached home.

"You knew from the start and yet you kept me here. You kept me here on purpose. Why?" She whispered.

"I guess I just wanted to know you. I wanted to see what a real Lunar was like."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are the rumors true? Are you bewitched?" It came out as a harsh whisper, daring him to be so bold with her.

He answered her with a hush and continued to push her along. Once they cleared the square she took over directions. Taking them both back to the field, where she needed to be to get home.

He looked around making her nervous, "What's wrong? Is someone behind us? Were we followed?!"

"No no..it's just...this is where the old palace use to be."

"Ha! I knew it!"

She was careful to stand in the right spot and closed her eyes, feeling her power flow through her and warm her up. She opened her eyes, ready for the trip, watching as he watched her. The wind swirled up from where she stood throwing her hair all over the place, making it almost impossible to see his face, which she so desperately wanted to see one last time.

Then he stepped into the transportation circle she had created, "What are you DOING! You can't be here, you will go to the Moon! Step back!"

"I will I will. I just wanted one more minute."

Then he pressed his lips to hers. A muffled squeal escaped her lips before his warmth over took hers. She let herself melt as his lips grabbed onto hers, tasting her fully. Then, almost as soon as it started, he pulled away.

"The answer is yes, I am bewitched by you."

He stepped back out of the circle and she took off, flying into the dark oblivion. When she landed back in the transportation room, her knees were still shaking. Only this time it wasn't due to her energy being spent.


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize in advance, this one is a bit short. I will post another chapter soon (maybe today) to make up for it. I've been a bit...sporadic with my posting. I know, sorry for that as well. I've pretty much just been waiting till I felt enough time had passed for everyone reading to see and read the last chapter and then when I have time to do it.

Enjoy lovelies!

 **Chapter Five**

" _...the heart has no tears to give,-it drops only blood, bleeding itself away in silence."_

― _**Harriet Beecher Stowe**_ _,_ _ **Uncle Tom's Cabin**_

She woke with a start. It was unnerving, being back in Mamo-chan's apartment after her mind spent a week on the Moon kingdom and in the past. Mamo-chan had barely stirred since they fell asleep. A chill ran up her spin and she was suddenly very aware of her nudity. She quickly threw her top back on. Glancing quickly at the clock on the tv, her heart skipped a beat. 1:34 am.

'Not again' she thought. Now she was afraid to go back to sleep. It had been three months since she had been rid of those horrid dreams but they still haunted her. Careful not to wake Mamo-chan, she got up and made her way back to the bedroom.

Chibi-usa was still sleeping soundly. No nightmares for her tonight it seemed. Then she went to the kitchen. She was temporarily blinded when she turned on the light, fumbling around for a few minutes while her eyes adjusted. Looking around for something to occupy her time, her eyes landed on a bowl of apples. They were all golden delicious.

Her dream or rather memory, was still very fresh on her mind. Picking one up, she held it to her nose and breathed in its sweet smell.

Endymon had been just as much of a jerk as Mamo-chan. It made her giggle at the thought.

But her thoughts were short lived, as a moan came from the living room. She was making her way back to Mamo-chan's side when the moan turned into something more. Something was wrong. Mamo-chan began to thrash on the floor. Kicking and pulling at the covers.

She knelt behind him, shaking him, trying to wake him up when one of his thrashes knocked her back. Then he started talking in his sleep.

"No..no..Usako..don't...you can't…..I can't LOSE you!...Please no...don't leave me...USAKO!"

She tried again to wake him, shaking him, speaking to him in honeyed tones, trying to get him to wake up, "Mamo-chan, it's okay, I'm right here." But instead he continued, "Damn you...DAMN YOU…...you stay away from HER!"

Finally she slapped him awake. He laid still for several minutes, catching his breath.

"Mamo-chan? Are you okay?"

He turned to her, his eyes wild and frantic. He leaped on her, grabbing her up in his arms like she would fly away any second.

He just held her and she held him, stroking his hair and whispering, "It's okay. Everything is okay. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

He pulled away but only so he could plant kisses all over her face. When he was finished, he pulled them back into their 'bed' and held her tightly to him as if he was afraid to let go.

"Do you want to tell me about it? Your dream?"

He hesitated for a moment, but relinquished, "Yeah, it was just another memory. The one about our deaths on the Moon. That's all."

She couldn't believe her ears. Mamo-chan had called out her name, not Serenity's. Did he just lie to her?

"Did you have a new memory?"

She was broken from her thoughts, "Yeah. The one where we meet for the first time."

He chuckled, causing her to relax a little, "I can't believe you thought you could just wander around and no one would notice."

She slapped his chest playfully, "Hey it was my first time in town. Besides, I had no idea what the differences were between Humans and Lunars. Nor did I have any clue how close I was to the castle! If I had known, I never would have gone into that town."

"If you hadn't, we may never have met."

She thought about that for less than a second, "Nah, we still would have met."

"Oh yeah? Why so sure? Do you know something I don't?"

"Because Mamo-chan," she moved so she was on top of him, looking him in his eyes, holding his head at either side so he was looking back into hers, "we are soul mates. We will never be apart. Not for long anyways."

He pulled her in for a soul crushing kiss. It was short, but it got the point across.

"Sorry I woke you up."

She still laid on top of him, drawing shapes on his chest absentmindedly, "Oh you didn't. I woke up at 1:34 again."

He grabbed her finger, stopping her tracing and causing her to look him in the eyes. They were wild with fear again.

"Is it happening again?"

She was a little thrown by his reaction, "I don't know...I just woke up…," seeing he was scaring her, he calmed down, "I was afraid to go back to sleep honestly."

He put a wayward hair back behind her ear and looked at her sweetly, "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

She went back to her tracing, "I know."

There was a moment of silence between them. They were too busy enjoying the closeness of one another to speak.

A smile and a chuckle broke her lips and the silence, "You know, you and Endymon are a lot alike."

"Oh really? How so?"

" You are both insufferable and cocky."

"Oh yeah?"

Before she move otherwise, he had flipped them over so now she was on the bottom. He began tickling her fiercely, under her ribs and across her stomach. And he didn't stop. He continued and she was unable to take anymore.

"Okay OKAY! You're not insufferable and cocky! I take it back!," he released her and she caught her breath, "at least...not now..but in the beginning…"

He didn't let her finish. He returned to his assault and she did all she could to wiggle out of his grasp. Soon, he stopped and changed tactics. Now instead of tickling her, he was kissing her. Her cheeks, her chin, her neck, everywhere but her mouth. He would come close but as soon as she leaned in to grab his mouth, he would change course and dodge her advance.

Finally, she had had enough. The next time he came close she grabbed his face. It was just enough of force to slow him to where she could get his lips with hers. She had won, planting her lips on his in victory.

But he didn't pull away. Instead, he deepened the kiss. She responded by opening her mouth to his, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth and dance with hers. The passion from before had not died out, it had just turned into a slow burning ember. And with that one kiss, they had thrown gas on it, it roared to life with avengence.

Their hands roamed hungerly over each others' bodies, wanting to feel as much as possible before someone threw water on the flames again. Mamo-chan wasted no time removing her top again. Bare chested once again, his mouth raged over her warmed skin. His kisses leaving scorch marks as he went down the front of her body.

This time, he didn't hesitate to remove her shorts and underwear. He grabbed handfuls of the cloth and she lifted herself up so they would glide right off. He threw them in some unknown direction.

She now laid before him fully nude. She resisted the urge to cover herself as his eye drank her in. His eyes only stopped when he met hers. Deep blue pools full of love and lust. He fell back onto her, careful not to crush or hurt her.

His kisses changed, from hungry and wanting to slow and thoughtful. She ran her fingers through his hair, keeping him near to her, for it felt as though he might pull away from her again.

His lips left hers, going around her face planting small kisses all over. Then he rested his face in the nook of her neck, nibbling and caressing the sensitive skin that laid there.

Inbetween his nibbles, he whispered to her, "Do you want to stop."

She tried to think, to clear her mind of the smoke that was their burning bodies, did she want him to stop? It was hard to think past his manhood pressing hard against her womanhood in such a fantastic manner. It was clear he didn't want to stop. But that's not what he asked. He asked if she wanted to stop.

The honest answer was, "No," at least in that moment it was.

"Usako, do you want me to stop?"

"No. No I don't want you to stop."

"Are you sure?" He was already making his way down her chest as he waited for her answer.

"Yes. Yes I'm sure. Mamo-chan please."

His hand, that went unnoticed till now, slid off her hip and went lower. It didn't stop till it found her entrance. He danced around it as if he was still unsure of her resolve, then he dove in. His palm pressed against her flesh while his two fingers danced inside her. She wiggled and bucked as waves of untold pleasure wrecked her body. He held her still with his body and quieted her with his mouth on her own.

Moving his lips away from hers, she tried to focus on staying quiet but it was hard for her to focus on anything other than what was being done to her body.

Mamo-chan pulled his hand from her and she waited for him to take off his pants and take her fully. But he made no move to do so. Instead he replaced his hips so that he lined up with her. His hardened body pressed against hers, re-creating the sparks from before.

Spark after spark, she felt her fuse get shorter and shorter. Till, fireworks. White spots filled her eyes and her whole body seemed to sing out.

She tried to hold it in, but she just couldn't stop herself, "Mamo-chan," escaped loudly from her lips as her bliss took control.

He replied to her in kind as his took over him, milliseconds after her, "Usako," as if calling his name only aided in his release.

He slowed and stopped, laying heavily on top of her again. Ragged breath came out of both of them. She still held him tight to her, refusing to let go of the moment.

He lifted himself up, enough to look at her again. Her face hot and sweaty from the exertion, she was sure she looked terrible. But he just watched her, gently running his ran down one side of her face. And he smiled. She smiled back.

He placed a quick, sweet kiss on her lips, before returning his thoughtful gaze to hers, "I love you. You know that right?"

"Hmm yes. But it is nice to hear it anyways."

"Yes it is." He hinted.

"I love you too, Mamo-chan."

He kissed the tip of her nose before rising and leaving her alone on the floor. He took one last look at her naked form before disappearing down the hall into the bathroom.

They hadn't made love, but maybe that was a good thing. Getting caught up in the heat of the moment was clearly something she bad about. She didn't regret anything, but she might have if it had gone any further. She was finding it really hard to sort through her feelings on the matter.

She got dressed and back under the covers. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was Mamo-chan sliding in next to her and wrapping his arms around her.

After a dreamless and restful sleep, Usagi woke to the sound of Mamo-chan and Chibi-usa laughing in the kitchen. She wondered her way there herself, adjusting her clothes as she went.

The two where sitting at the table enjoying pancakes that Mamo-chan, no doubt, made from scratch. He had been taking care of himself for along time, which meant learning how to cook. A task she was yet to complete herself.

Chibi-usa turned and looked at her but Mamo-chan didn't, which was weird. "Want some pancakes Usagi-chan?" She asked though a full mouth.

"Sure."

She pulled out a chair and sat across from them and Mamo-chan still had yet to look at her. Worry gripped her heart. She did her best to bite back tears. She was being ridiculous. She was just overreacting to all the emotions that she went through last night.

Chibi-usa busied herself with making her a plate of pancakes. It was very sweet and cute. Mamo-chan may have shut her out but Chibi-usa had finally opened up.

Placing a plate of hot pancakes in front of her, Chibi-usa bounced towards the door, "I'm going to go get ready. Mamo-chan is taking me to an amusement park today!" She said to Usagi, and then she was gone.

Turning back to Mamo-chan, who was staring deeply at his cup of coffee, "That's nice. She acts like it's her first time..."

"You're going over to Makoto's today aren't you?" He asked, interrupting her.

"...Yes…"

"Then you should probably hurry up and get ready."

He spoke coldly to her and left the table. She sat alone with her pancakes, that were getting cold. Not like it mattered. There was no way she could eat them now. Her stomach was twisted with worry and doubt. She had never doubted Mamo-chan before and she didn't like how it tasted in her mouth.

The ride over to Makoto's was more of the same. Chibi-usa gabbing on to the two of them from the backseat while she and Mamo-chan sat in silence together in the front. He barely said goodbye to her as she got out of the car.

It was impossible to mask her pain and doubt even by the time she reached Makoto's door. And of course all the girls wanted her to spill, even though this was supposed to be a Scout meeting. But given that an enemy was yet to reveal themselves, there was little to distract the conversation from her and Mamo-chan's relationship.

So she caved and told them what happened last night. Not including too many details. Just the basics. All they needed to know to understand why she was feeling so devastated. They all looked at her with sad eyes, telling her the truth even if their mouths didn't.

"I'm sure he was just trying to be respectful around Chibi-usa," Amy chidded.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all it is," Makoto added.

Mina placed a gentle hand on her knee, "I haven't known the two of you very long in this life, but I know that you love each other very much."

Then it was Rei's turn. She could trust her to be honest, "Mina is right. Something is up, but he loves you. More than anything."

Their sweet lies stilled her tears for the time being. But deep down she knew there was more to it. Something was really wrong. And they knew it too, they just weren't saying it aloud.

Mina stood up quickly, "Come on guys. Let's cheer Usagi up!"

Makoto jumped up next to her, "Yeah, let's go shopping guys!"

Looking over at Luna and Artemis for any protests, but the two of them were curled up, asleep together. _Oh sweet kitty love._

They spent the rest of the day in the Jubban shopping district, going store to store. She wasn't much company though. The lower the sun got in the sky, the nearer it got to when she would have to face Mamo-chan's cold eyes again.

It was as if the stars knew she needed a distraction as right then all their communicators went off.

Luna's fuzzy face filled the small screen, "Scouts, a new enemy has been spotted. It's downtown."

She pinned the location to Ami's laptop and they all quickly changed. Sporting their fukus, they all ran in the directions given to them by Ami.

There before they knew it, the thing was really close to where they were just shopping. They stood outside of the open air food court, a few chairs and tables askew and broken amidst the chaos. People knocked into their shoulders as they ran past in panic. The creature was slinder with tight grey skin. The skin looked more like a trash bag that was stretched too thin, wrinkled and hard. Its long green hair stood on end towards the sky.

Sensing their approach, the creature whirled around to face them. A sneer fixed to its face and hollow eyes, it looked like a dead body, like an old zombie that had been left out in the sun.

"Ah, the Sailor Senshi, we finally meet."

Makoto, always the brave one, yelled back, "Oh so you've heard of us. Then you know we laid waste to last guys who tried to attack Earth."

It didn't look at Makoto, it just stared straight at her, "The last guys were weak compared to the power of the Dark Moon."

That was when she saw the black upside down crescent moon on the creature's forehead. Placed in the exact location of her crescent moon that currently shined brightly on her tiara.

But the small talk was over. Its arms stretched as if they were made of toy puddie like Stretch Armstrong, and it slung them as it spun in a circle. Each Senshi dodged the attack with no problem.

"Ha, you are going to have to do better than that," goated Rei.

The other Senshi cheered her on, but she had a bad feeling in her stomach. An ever growing knot telling her things were more than they seemed.

It spun again and the girls jumped up into the air for an easy dodge once again. But this time the creature stretched its legs upward, pushing its arms up as well for a perfect collision with each of the scouts. They all fell back to the Earth, each one making a sick 'thud' as they hit. She landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her.

The creature changed its tactics, focusing on her again. She managed to get to her knees when the arm came at her again. This time it barreled straight at her, turning into a spike. It intended to impale her. She didn't dare jump, the creature had already shown them that trick. She watched as the sharp tip came closer and closer. To her, it moved like it was in slow motion. She found it fascinating, the difference in her power since the last time she fought. She could feel the energy as is surged within her, telling her body what to do.

The Senshi called out to her in fear, but at the last second she twisted her body out of the way.

"Hmm, your fast," the creature purred at her, "But not fast enough."

She sensed it too late. The creature had made the spike turn around and now it was making like a demon to impale her through the back. She twisted again, escaping being shish-kabob, but it still caught her shoulder pulling skin and muscle with it. She grabbed her arm just below the wound only to have warm blood wash over it. She flung it off, deciding to ignore the pain and keep going.

The Senshi each attacked the creature over and over again, but it barely blinked, focusing only on her. Like it was swatting flies, it flicked its arm at super speed, spending all the Senshi flying.

"NO!"

She cried out for them, but received nothing but silence in return. She moved to try and get to them but the creature blocked her in, keeping them from her.

She saw some movement and caught sight of Ami and Minako moving around. They were taking care of Makoto and Rei who seemed to moving very little.

Minako looked to her and gave her the thumbs up, right before she screamed, "Sailor Moon, LOOK OUT!"

The creature had taken advantage of her distracted mind and sent a handful of spikes from its belly in her direction. Summoning up her energy, she put it in her legs. She hopped onto the first spike, using it as a starting point to hop from each one, gaining an edge and distance on the creature.

Its sheer slowly disappeared as she advanced. The last spike, she jumped high into the air, giving herself enough time to ready her tiara. She held it in her hand like a club, its heat not harmful to her, she pressed it out before her planning on using her weight and speed from the fall to crack the creature's hard skin and dust the damn thing.

Its hollow eyes grew wide, it had realized its mistake too late.

"SAILOR MOON!"

The scream drew her out of her determination just in time to see the giant ball of weaponized dark energy slam into her. Her entire right side felt like it was on fire. The hit sent her flying and crashing into the brick wall of a store. Now both sides felt like they were on fire.

She fell back to the ground in a pile of skin and bones, although she was pretty sure many of her bones were now dust. She rolled over to vomit up blood that had filled her lungs, a rib must have punctured one.

"Ewww. That's not very ladylike. Wahahaha!"

The shrill laugh filled the empty courtyard, hurting her ears almost as much as her ribs. She wrapped an arm around herself in a feeble attempt to subdue the throbbing. The woman with the awful laugh had green hair just like the creature, but the similarities stopped there. Her hair fell in waves down her back. And her super pale skin seemed flawless from here, but her eyesight was a bit blurred from pain. She wore a super tight, super small dress that left NOTHING to the imagination. And on her forehead was another black crescent moon.

"Oh come on Tuxie. How much do I have to hurt her to get you to come out and play?"

Tuxedo Kamen? They were after him?

She was just about to brave the pain of yelling back at her that she was crazy, when Tuxedo Kamen stepped out of the shadows just a few feet away from her. She stared at him in disbelief, how long had he been standing there? Had he been masking his energy from her? Hiding himself?

His fist where tightly clenched and his eyes were focused on the cackling witch before them.

"There you are. I've been waiting for you."

She spat out some more blood that was hindering her breathing, "What do you want with him?"

She could feel his eyes on her but she refused to look at him. Not after the beating he just watched her take. Not after the cold shoulder he gave her all day.

The woman flipped out a fan in front of her face, "Why should I tell you," she stopped and let out another cackle, "when I could just show you."

She swung the fan outwards and another larger ball of energy went flying. It was fast. Too fast. And big, death blow big. And it was heading straight for Tuxedo Kamen.

She didn't think, she just acted, running towards him as fast as her legs would carry her. With mere seconds before contact, she planted herself in front of him and readied herself for the blow. She felt no fear, for she was protecting the one she loved. Hands grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to shove her out of the way, but they weren't fast enough.

All she could see was darkness as the the blast consumed her entire sight line. She closed her eyes and waited for death. Screams echoed across the courtyard. Her Senshi begging her to move. Their love pouring over her from afar. She loved them so much. They would be missed.

It all happen it a few short seconds, but her power let her experience come in slow motion again. It felt more like minutes to her. Her pain had disappeared, her energy pooling and flowing thru and around her.

The ball hit her arms first as they were cross out in front of her face. The pain was intense, but bearable. She wasn't even halfway through the blast though, and she could feel it wearing on her. Her energy bended and flexed within her. Gold bands flashes wrapping around her wrist and forearms. It pierced through the massive ball, cutting it in two. The two energies went their separate ways, crashing into the wall behind her and Tuxedo Kamen.

He let go of her shoulders, probably because her energy was still flexing and bobbing around her. And she was pissed.

The woman still floated above them but she clearly wasn't expecting them to survive. Usagi's eyes narrowed, finding her new target. The glow of her energy nearly blinded her and caused the 'sex kitten' to shiver in her spot.

She took a step forward and the world seemed to shiver in response. Or maybe that was just everyone around her.

She pulled her tiara from her skull and let it heat up in her hand. This was the most powerful she had ever been outside of Princess Serenity. And there was more, a lot more. She could feel it deep inside her, resting like a beast in hibernation. But this woman was not worth waking the beast for. She could feel that she had already surpassed what she was capable of.

Her tiara at the ready, she planned on hand to hand combat with the woman. It was the least she could do, to give her a chance. She almost felt sorry for the poor woman before. Clearly she just wanted attention from someone and wasn't getting it. No matter how hard she tried.

Bending her knees, ready to propel herself into the air, she was stopped short. A man appeared next to the woman. He was dressed more sensibly, like a general. His hair was dark blue and looked eerily similar to Mamo-chan. He too bore the black crescent on his forehead.

"Esmeralda, remember your orders? The girl was not to be harmed!" The man was furious at the sight of Usagi, all battered and bruised. But he was also afraid. Of her or someone else, she wasn't sure.

The horrendous laugh filled the air again, "It's not my fault. Tux boy here took his sweet time coming to her aid."

The man roughly grabbed her arm, "You took it too far. Now you will have to answer to him."

Fear was visible on her face before they both shimmered away, leaving the creature forgotten and quaking before her. With a flick of her wrist, her tiara sliced through it, turning it to dust and screams.

She placed the tiara back on her head and looked over her shoulder to the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen. They looked at her in awe, golden bands of energy whipping and wrapping around her. None of them dared approach her in this state. She felt sadness flood her as she took in her Senshi's wounds. She didn't want them to be so overpowered again. She made a quiet wish to the crystal and just like that, the bands of gold flew over to her Senshi, filling each of them up with its warm glow. When it released them, their fuku had change ever so slightly. But what she noticed was the difference in their power. It had increased a lot. But they were still on their own in figuring out how to access it. That was the best she could do for them.

With that done and all the danger gone, she felt her power waine. It was going back to sleep till the next fight. As soon as it left her, the pain returned. She doubled over, falling to the ground. She felt hands all over her and every voice calling out to her.

She swatted the hands away, "I'm fine, I'm fine," but the movement was a bad idea.

She was choking on her own blood. She had to get it out. She turned away from all of them and vomited the blood out of her. She felt a bit better after that.

"Oh my God."

"We should get her to a hospital."

Their voices mingled together and her brain couldn't make out who was talking, "No. No hospital. I'll be fine. I just need a minute."

"Usagi, you just coughed up part of your lung."

She tried to laugh but it hurt too much. That was a joke right. She looked over to her blood on the pavement. It looked like just blood, no tissue that she could see. _Okay, joke. It was a joke._ Her mind was racing as it tried to make sense of things over the pain. But she had been hurt worse than this before. Hadn't she? She couldn't remember.

Hands found her again. Touching her, feeling her wounds. She tried to push them away again but they just kept coming back.

"Hold still."

He was putting his hands on her. A warmth that was not her own filled her, touching the spaces inside her body that were damaged the most. The pain lessened, little by little till it was much more bearable. Her ribs still ached a little when she moved but it was no longer pushing through her lung.

Part of her was grateful. The other part wondered if he couldn't do a little bit more for her. But one look at his drained face told her he had done more than he should have. His powers were not meant to heal, he had to work twice as hard for them to work that way.

Now able to stand, everyone was smiling at her, save for Tuxedo Kamen.

"Wow Sailor Moon, that was awesome." Sailor Venus raised her hand for a high five, which she gave but regretted as her ribs caught fire from the act.

She returned her arm to its protective place over her ribs, "Are you guys okay?"

They all nodded in happy unison and Tuxedo Kamen crossed his arms over his chest like a pouting child.

"Was I the only one watching that battle?" he started in.

Rei huffed, "Well yeah, the rest of us were busy fighting in it."

He bristled, but continued on, "Sailor Moon, you put yourself in unnecessary danger, again."

"Hey back off Mamoru, she did great." Makoto chimed in.

Then Minako, "Yeah what's your problem man?"

"My problem is we have a Princess on the battlefield and she doesn't even know how to handle herself!"

She couldn't think of a time when Tuxedo Kamen ever yelled at the Senshi in anger. Or at her for that matter. Most of the time he yelled out of fear, but this was just hurtful.

No one was around, the battle had cleared out the whole area. One by one the Senshi transformed out of there fuku. Blood and dirt reamined on her skin but her clothes were completely unharmed. It gave a strange contrast.

As calmly as she could she turned to her Senshi, "Can you guys give us some time?"

They clearly didn't want to leave her alone with him, but they respected her wishes and left. Soon it was just her and Mamo-chan, standing across from each other. Neither looking each other in the eyes or saying a word. It pained her, more than her ribs, for him to be standing there, a stranger to the man she knew last night.

It was relationship chicken and she had had enough, "Can you just tell me what I did wrong?" If he wasn't going to be brave, she would be.

But he laughed, "What you did wrong…" He shook his head as though he was trying to rid himself of his thoughts.

She took a step towards him, "Everything was fine last night. Great, perfect, amazing even. I just...I just don't understand what I could have done to change that?"

He finally looked at her, but his eyes were cold and dead, "It's not your fault. I just don't think we should be together anymore."

He said it like he was canceling his cable. It struck her, deep to the bone, "What? Why? I don't understand!"

"Look Usagi," she took notice of the name he used, another arrow to the heart, "we are just different people than who we were in our past lives. Especially you. I will always do my best to protect you but I don't think it's fair to either of us that we be together just because of our past."  
"And here I thought we were together because we loved each other,' she said though thick silent tears, "that's what you said to me last night."

"Last night was last night. It's in the past. Usagi, I don't want to be with you anymore."

"You don't...want me?"

"No. Now can we just move on with our lives please."

He left her standing there. Barely able to breath. But not because of her wounds, not the physical ones at least. His words sliced through her, playing over and over in her head. Mamo-ch...Mamoru didn't love her, anymore.

And there it is, the dreaded break up! Will Usagi believe it? Will she fight for Mamoru? Will she...KILL herself? Wait and see! Okay, obviously she is not going to kill herself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

" _Because no retreat from the world can mask what is in your face."_

― _**Gregory Maguire**_ _,_ _ **Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West**_

It rained every day that week, but she actually enjoyed it, it matched her mood. Somehow she convinced Yukio that she was sick, which wasn't too hard given her lack of appetite and all around grey atmosphere she was projecting. Not to mention it took her longer than usual to heal from the battle. Probably another side effect of her heart ache. Her body literally didn't have the heart to heal herself.

She was fully aware of how she looked and acted, she just didn't care. She couldn't muster up the energy to. She just felt so tired no matter how much she rested or slept. And no one seemed to question it. Yukio checked on her before she left for work and when she came back. Shingo brought her food every half hour that he was home. And Chibi-usa, well she had been staying at Mamoru's this week. She didn't fight that decision, she was in no position to watch over anyone.

Mamoru still took Shingo to school. Luckily she didn't have to ride with them being 'out sick', but she wouldn't be able to hide forever. She was going to have to figure out an alternative means of travel. The girls stopped by too. Ami brought her classwork, Makoto brought food, Minko brought magazines and mangas, and Rei brought scathing remarks about her holding up in her room.

It didn't help that she kept waking up at 1:34 am every night either. She was too afraid to go back to sleep alone so every night was spent in a desperate, frantic attempt to stay awake. It usually ended with her falling back asleep in the early hours of morning whether she wanted to or not.

The sun peeked through her curtains, announcing another morning had arrived. The clouds had cleared away at last. It was going to be a beautiful Saturday. Old Usagi would have jumped out of bed, thrown on a cute sundress, and romped around all day till the lightening bugs came out to play. She wished she could be that girl, she wanted to return to her, but….she was just so tired.

She flopped back on her bed right as Yukio opened the door, "Okey Usagi-chan. Enough is enough."

She peered at her Aunt through a lazy eye, "Good morning Aunt Yukio."

"And a good morning to you. Now get up!"

"But..Yukio…"

"No buts! I let you morn, now it is time to move on."

She had told no one of what happened between her and Mamoru, but it had to have been obvious. Even her Aunt was alluding to it.

Yukio walked over to her closet and started rummaging around, calling out to her as she searched, "Go take a shower. I love you but you stink dear."

She raised an arm and sniffed herself. Ug, her Aunt was right. Maybe a shower was a good idea. The hot water and soap, could be just the thing. She turned the water to as hot as it could go, hoping to scorch away the layer of depression that covered her.

Yukio had laid out an outfit for her to put on, a pink gingham dress with a knee length skirt and a boat neckline. Next to it was a white cardigan a pair of white flats.

The shower and clothes helped. She could hear hushed tones coming from her living room. When she got downstairs, Yukio, Shingo, Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto were standing around with goofy smiles on their faces.

"What's going on guys?"

Giggles were hushed and gentle pushes as the secret was held from her. When they all could no longer keep it in, Yukio grabbed her arm and pulled her outside.

"This is for you."

There in the car port was a beat up Jeep. She knew very little about cars but she at least knew that it was a Jeep, and that's it. It was white, and it was the type of Jeep that didn't have a real roof. It just had two metal bars across the top and you zipped on pieces of vinyl and plastic for the rest. Walking around she saw that it was called a Wrangler.

It wasn't old or new enough to be worth anything, but to her it was perfect. And it was hers.

"But I was going to buy my own."

"I know. You can pay me back. Besides, your birthday is coming up. Let's just call this an early present." Aunt Yukio gushed.

"Yeah now let's fire it up and hit the road!" Shouted Minako.

The girls all piled in , fighting over the front seat. Somehow, Ami won and sat, fully satisfied with herself.

Yukio put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her attempt to follow the girls, "By the way, I've been calling in sick for you at work. But no more. You have the evening shift tomorrow."

"Okey. Sorry you had to do that."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Heartbreak is part of growing up unfortunately. I've dated a lot of jerks in my days and I'm pretty good at sniffing them out. I got to tell you, Mamoru is not one of them. I'm sure this will all work out one way or another."

Her words were well intended, but Yukio only knew a very small part of the story.

Yukio handed her her purse and she double checked to make sure her license was inside. Then she climbing into the front seat, getting acquainted with the mechanisms. The driver's seat was pushed way back, like someone tall had driven the car before her. Something clicked inside her and she froze.

"Usagi-chan? What's wrong?"

Ami's sweet face looked at hers with care and concern, but she didn't take her eyes off of the wheel, "Mamoru bought me this car." She said it flatly, implying that there was no question in the matter.

The girls believed her, assuming she knew better than they did, "Oh wow! He bought you a car? That's a good sign isn't it?"

Minako. Ever the optimist.

But Matoko got it, "No. It's not good."

She was the only one though, "How is it not a good sign it's a freaking CAR!" Minako squealed."

Rei was confused, "Yeah, I wish my ex-boyfriends would buy me car."

She turned so that she could see all of them, "If I have a car, Mamoru doesn't have to come here anymore."

The realization washed over their faces in the form of defeat. She had to give them a smile. They really wanted her to be happy.

She turned back around and started the engine, "Okay girls, where to?"

They settled on heading back to the Juban shopping district since their first attempt was interrupted. They sat at the food court, after a few hours of shopping, resting their feet and having some lunch. It was the same place that the enemy had first shown itself, but you could hardly tell save for a few cracked bricks that had cracked her ribs in return.

She had a soda and nibbled on everyone's fries. Makoto tried to push a burger on her, but she just wasn't ready for too many solids yet. Guess she wasn't fully ready to go back into society after all. But she wasn't given much choice. School was nearing its end for the year, she needed to be in class this last month and her job wouldn't wait around for her either.

And neither would the enemy.

All the other Senshi had a handful of bags full of new treasures, except for her. She was finding it difficult to get into the spirit of things. This did not go unnoticed by her friends either, who promised, after lunch, that it was her turn. She was scared of what that would mean.

They walked around a bit, glancing into store windows and chatting happily. She was making herself busy, examining a window display, when Minako grabbed her hand and pulled her sharply away.

"Usagi-chan, I found your store."

"Minako, I don't have a store."

Makoto caught up to them, "No really Usagi-chan. This place is your store!"

The store was filled top to bottom with light colored prints and designs. Looking around, she couldn't find a single thing she didn't like. Minako grabbed a few different things, thrusted them in her arms, and shoved her into changing room. She looked over the pile of cuteness, picking out pieces that looked like they would go together, till she had something other than what she wore there on.

She stepped out of the small closet of a dressing room, the girls were waiting just outside back in the store. As soon as she stepped out into full view they started in on her.

Makoto put her fingers in her mouth and whistled, while Ami and Rei clapped.

Minako was the worst of course, "Come on girl, turn around, strut down the catwalk."

She did as she asked, but half-heartedly, "Oh come on you can do better than that!"

"Better give her what she wants or she won't stop," even Ami was encouraging this!

So, she did her best model walk ending at their feet with a twirl. It was hard not to laugh at all their antics. Especially when they got a look from a store clerk.

Minako put her hands on the top she had on, pulling at the fabric. It easily came off her skin, "I think we are going to have to get you a smaller size, you've lost weight Usagi."

A sad face passed around the group as their worries returned, "Guys, I'm fine. Really. I just haven't had an appetite lately but I'll get it back soon."

She wasn't sure if they believed her. Heck, she wasn't sure if she believed it either.

A chill ran down her spin, interrupting the moment. Someone was watching them. She quickly scanned the area, looking out past the the store and into the mall. The girls followed suit, looking out. But soon looked back at her questioning.

"You guys didn't feel that?"

They each shook their heads, "Felt what Usagi-chan?" Rei asked.

"Someone was watching us."

They all flew into battle mode, Minako took over, "Rei, Makoto, go check it out."

With a nod, they both left. She went back inside to get dressed. When she returned, Minako was at the register, purchasing something. Ami looped an arm through hers and walked with her out of the store. Leave it to Ami to be the strong silent type. To anyone else, it would look like two friends having a moment together, but she knew Ami was her protection detail. She didn't know how she felt about the girls protecting her like this. Before their battle with Beryl, when she was just a regular Guardian, they would have protected each other. Now she had become priority.

Soon Minako joined them and handed over the bag from the store. Looking inside she could see it was the outfit she had just tried on...a size smaller.

"Thank you Minako-chan."

"You're welcome."

Minako looped her arm through her empty one and they walked her like a couple of bodyguards. Rei and Makoto came rushing around a corner. Not really running but clearly trying to get away from something.

"Quick guys, HIDE!" Makoto was doing a whisper scream, whatever it was most have been close.

Before it could register with the threesome, Chib-usa came bounding around the corner. Her eyes lit up at the sight of them, her chubby cheeks flushed from running. The girls must have really given her chase.

The small child leaped on her first, "Usagi-chan! I haven't seen you in forever!"

Minako laughed at Rei and Makoto, "This is what you guys were running from?"

Rei and Makoto shook their heads furiously, waving their arms for them to flee the area.

Her wide eyes told her the girl was truly happy to see her, "Yeah sorry Chibi-usa, I was sick." She crouched down, taking the weight of the child off of her but keeping her arms around her.

"Sick huh?"

The deep voice was unmistakable. She felt the blood drain from her face. She stood slowly, looking him in the face. He looked her up and down, Mamoru in the flesh, giving her a once over. The mask that she hated so much when they first met was back up. He was doing everything he could to block her out of his life. It was what he wanted after all.

"Maybe you should take better care of yourself."

He must have been referring to her weight loss. She really hadn't lost that much had she? She looked down, noticing for the first time how her dress hung loosely on her shoulders. It wasn't fitting as snuggly as it use to.

They were all looking at her. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. She just wanted to shrink away back to the safety of her bed.

All of which went right over Chibi-usa's head, "Mamo-chan is taking me shoe shopping!"

The girls finally took their eyes off of her and put them on Mamoru, she kept her eyes on Chibi-usa. She wanted to look anywhere but at him.

"Her new school has a uniform. We are trying to find the required shoes." He shrugged like it was no big deal.

Minako leaned over to Chibi-usa, "You're starting at a new school? That's exciting!"

Chibi-usa shrugged, "I guess so," she looked back to her, "If you're feeling better Usagi-chan, maybe I can spend the night with you again? Mamo-chan's place is boring."

She was surprised. She thought Chibi-usa would have enjoyed staying at Mamoru's over her any day. This girl was confusing.

"Um, sure," she looked at Mamoru for approval, but then smacked herself for it. She didn't need his permission, "but I have work tomorrow."

Chibi-use didn't care, she just flung herself into her arms once again. Then she grabbed as many hands as she could, pulling whomever she could with her, "Come on guys. Help me find my shoes!"

Somehow, Chibi-usa had stripped her of all her bodyguards and left her standing alone with Mamoru. This is not where she wanted to be. He stood a respectable distance from her silent as the grave. She didn't dare look up, she was afraid if she did she would turn to stone, crumble and fall away.

"Glad to see you out and about."

She replied with a huff. It wasn't that she thought he was being ingenuine, she didn't want him to be. She didn't need him to care about her, keeping her hopes up that they would one day be together again.

"Shopping I see."

He said it smuggley, like he would expect nothing less of her. She tried to think of something smart to say back when she felt it again. This time the shiver was so strong it caused her to shake. She looked around frantically, trying to find the source.

Mamoru took a step in her direction, "What is it?"

She looked at him, unbelieving, "You don't feel it?"

Now they were both looking around, but the feeling was gone, "Someone is watching us," he whispered.

"The enemy?"

"I don't know."

With the feeling completely gone now, she noticed, now that Mamoru was almost on top of her. The smell of roses and pine filled her senses, leaving her feeling a little dizzy. She couldn't take this, not yet. She needed to get away from him.

She moved away quickly not even bothering with an excuse and headed in any direction that was away from him. She didn't get far before he grabbed her arm. She tried to pull it out of his grasp but held firm.

"I meant it earlier Usagi. You need to take better care of yourself. If not for you, then for Shingo, Yukio, Chibi-usa, and your Senshi. A lot of people care about you."

He finally let go of her and she was ready to give him a piece of her mind, when her communicator went off.

"Usagi-chan, the enemy is here!" It was Makoto and she was whispering, but she wasn't sure why.

Mamoru grabbed her arm again, this time pulling her into an empty hallway meant for employees only. Transformed, the two of them made their way to the North side of shopping district, tracking Makoto's signal.

It was inside a shoe store. This time it looked like a regular handsome man save for his purple skin. He had a on a three piece suit that was impossibly straight and perfect. His shoes were perfectly shined, gleaming the light from above in a blinding manner.

She looked around for Makoto and the other Senshi. "Psst!"

She turned around to see all four of her Senshi hiding behind a shoe rack. She gave them a questioning look, to which they responded to pointing out a big problem. Chibi-usa was with them. They couldn't transform and reveal themselves to her but they couldn't leave her unprotected either. This fight would have to be between this monster, herself, and Tuxedo Kamen.

The creature was busy admiring his cuticles, too busy to so much as address them. He then yawned, and seemed to notice the two of them for the first time.

"Oh hello there. I was expecting you," he gave a small bow, "I am here to kill you."

A laugh escaped her lips, "What else is new?"

The creature looked offended, "Well, I never! For that…"

"I know, I know, I die first right?"

It looked perplexed, not expecting her sarcasm. He switched gears, "How about I just kill them instead."

With a flick of his tiny wrist, the shoe rack the girls were hiding behind blew up. She saw the girls fly out just in time, missing the bulk of the attack. Her and Tuxedo Kamen ran towards them, but they seemed so far away no matter how hard she ran.

It hit Tuxedo Kamen next, knocking him into a stack of shoe racks. He grunted as he hit the floor so he was alive, but she couldn't stop now, she had to get to her friends. The creature aimed at them again. Rei held on tight to Chibi-usa who looked like a frightened little bunny. The creature zeroed in on the child.

"There you are little Lady."

Had she heard that thing right? Did this creature know Chibi-usa?

With one hand, it fired at her repeatedly, forcing her to dodge and weave around. With the other he fired around the room at anything that moved. She flung her tiara at the creature, hitting it just in time to knock his next blast just a bit off target. But the blast still came dangerously close to Rei and Chibi-usa. Rei took the brunt of it, but she dropped Chibi-usa in the process.

The creature aimed again, this time right at Chibi-usa. She was so close, she was almost there. Chibi-usa was frozen with fear, unable to move out of the blast's way. Scooping her up without stopping, the blast whizzed by, catching her ankle and foot. She limped over to another shoe rack and slumped down with the small child in her arms.

Chibi-usa put both of her tiny hands on either side of her face. Her big eyes looked worriedly into hers, "Sailor Moon, are you okay?"

She put on a brave face for her, after all it wasn't that bad of a wound, "Oh course I am. Do you really think a little blast like that could hurt me?" Chibi-usa smiled, her lips reaching up to her ears, "now you stay here until it's safe okay?"

She nodded, little pink tendrils dancing around her round face. Leaving her in a spot she was sure she was safe in for now, she set about getting her job done. The Senshi took the opportunity to transform while she had Chibi-usa distracted and all of them were going at the creature. Each one called up their greatest attack, hitting the creature dead on. It cried in pain, but it didn't die. The Senshi hadn't tapped into the power she gave them yet.

But this creature was nothing compared to the one they faced a week ago. It was unlike the enemy to go backwards, usually the battles got harder, not easier. She didn't need even half of the energy she did last week. She pull her tiara into her hand once again and while the Senshi continued their attack, she dusted it right before their eyes. The only thing it left behind was a small pile of ash that disappeared before their eyes.

This fight was different than all the others; this time they had a crowd. People who hid safely inside the mall started to come out sometime while they were fighting. Some held up their camera phones, getting bits of the fight on film. Now with the six of them standing there, they were met with applause.

Chibi-usa ran out from her hiding space and up to the group. She placed a relieved hand on the top of her pink head. Cameras flashed, blinding them. They had to make a break for it. Makoto kicked a foam tile on the ceiling, letting it crash to the ground. One by one they dashed up into the space in the ceiling between the rafters and the very brittle ceiling tiles. They had to be very careful not to touch any of them. And they had to be quick before Chibi-usa noticed their abscents too much.

They found themselves back behind a store in one of the 'employee hallways' that she has just transformed in with Mamoru moments ago. Within a few minutes they were pushing through the crowd, pretending to be looking for Chibi-usa as if they got caught up in the fight.

Chibi-usa waved goodbye to them, promising to see her soon, after she got her "stuff".

Now it was her time to say goodbye, dropping the girls off at each of their homes. They had tried to talk her into a sleep over, which sounded fun, but she was just so tired. She promised they would the following weekend.

By the time she got home, Mamoru was already getting back into his car to leave. He didn't even say anything to her, he just got in and drove off before she had her door open. An icy hand gripped her heart and squeezed. All the pain she had felt for the past week, everything she thought she had out of her system, came rushing back. Being out with the girls had been a nice distraction but now she stood alone surrounded by his dust in the garden where they had their first real kiss.

A few tears slipped out, her eyes still numb from all the tears she had already cried, she quickly wiped them away and prayed they would be her last, knowing full well they wouldn't.

Chibi-usa and Shingo chatted away endlessly about Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi. Lucky for her, Shingo wasn't a big Tuxedo Kamen fan so she didn't have to listen to both of them go on and on about him. Pushing her food around on her plate till she was excused, she headed upstairs. Each step feeling like a small mountain, she didn't even bother changing into pjs. Sleep took her before she even landed on her bed. It was a sweet release from the pain as she slipped out of consciousness, it was slowly becoming her safe place, her place away from pain. She would stay here forever if she could.

In the back of her mind she felt a tickle, a pulling as she slipped into something a little different than sleep. She knew what it meant. Another memory was releasing from somewhere deep inside her mind. It looked like tonight she would have an after dinner floor show.

In retrospect, this is a weird place to leave this. But, looking at the story as a whole, breaking here makes more sense. Get ready for another flashback when we return!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

" _Though sorrow may impede my heart,_

 _It is of great love to have known you."_

― _**C. Elizabeth**_

It was dark in the hallways as she made her way out of the west wing. There wasn't a soul in sight and not a sound throughout the entire Palace. The Harvest Festival was tomorrow and everyone was resting for the long day ahead. The only people around were guards, who didn't look at her as she passed, as was their duty.

Her heart pounded in her ears and her lips still burned from the kiss the strange Earth man had given her only moments ago. It felt as if he has seared her lips, leaving a mark visible to all. She had never kissed anyone before. Not a man, woman, Lunar or Earthen otherwise. The only kisses she had received were chaste ones from close friends and family in greeting. But nothing like this.

Did something like that leave a mark? Were relations between Lunars and Earthens so strict for this reason? Did they have a deep physical reaction on each other? ' _The answer is yes, I am bewitched by you,'_ she could hear his voice in her head like he was standing right next to her. It filled her brain, playing over and over again.

She walked right into her door, her mind so full of him. She looked around, making sure no one saw her and she slipped into her room. Only to turn and find the Queen herself sitting on her bed.

"Good evening, Princess Serenity." When she was formal, it was never good.

"Good evening your, Majesty."

"I had a long and tiresome day, as you know the Harvest Festival is tomorrow, and to top it all off the Earthens," she held her breath, she had been ratted out, "have decided to come. This being the first time in over a century has sent the entire Kingdom into a frenzy. But with all that, I came here to check on my poor sick child. My one and only daughter and next on the throne."

She sat, silent now, waiting for an explanation. It was clear that she had not been entirely found out yet, "I'm sorry mother, I thought some fresh air might help my head, so I took a walk."

"At this hour? That is highly inappropriate."

"I'm sorry."

She sighed deeply, "It's alright...this time. But this festival is very important Serenity and I need you at your best. Especially with the Earthen coming. This could either open a path back up between us or sever the ties forever. I don't want my legacy for you to be a war."

Butterflies began dancing around in her stomach, if relations with Earth got better, then maybe she would be able to go back and visit. Then she could see Endy….no that was silly, There was much more at stake than one infuriating and cocky man. But the butterflies did not go away.

Her exhaustion hit her hard after she got her mother out of her room. It had been a long day, with too many ups and downs to count. As soon as she closed her eyes, he appeared before her in her dreams.

The whole Palace was a tisy in the early hours of the morning. Guest would be arriving at first light. Every meal was an event and every night was a ball. The whole event was five days. Five days of gowns, uncomfortable shoes, and even more uncomfortable conversations. She knew at least half of them would be about her picking a suitor and the other half would be suitors trying to get her to pick them. She loved the Harvest Festival, but every year since she turned fourteen it had been more about her merger with another kingdom than the Harvest Moon.

Her handmaidens where giddy with talk as they brought in her new gowns made special for the Festivals events. One for the day and one for the evening balls. A total of eight dresses. Looking over them, all glittery with beautiful stones, she couldn't help but think back to the people on Earth she met. How little they had. And here she was with a dress for every occasion. It made her sick. Maybe that was something she could fix if they are able to talk peace with Earth.

The first gown she would wear was stunning, and it was just the opening ceremony gown. It was pale yellow made of a fine silk. The sleeves were short only covering her shoulders and a square neckline that was lower than she thought it should be for so early in the morning. The dress was loose once it made it past her breast. The heavy material fell straight down, no pleats or layers, to the floor forcing her to wear heels. This was no doubt the Queen's idea so she wouldn't run around barefoot as she often did. Her hair was business as usual and her jewelry was simple but beautiful, silver and diamonds and moon shapes.

The Palace was already beginning to fill with people. Dignitaries, Dukes, Duchesses, Lords, and Ladies. All dressed finely and full of joy. The Moon Palace at Harvest Festival was truly the best place to be. Yet her mind continued to wander back to Earth and its rose garden.

It was tradition that everyone gathers in the grand hall for her mother to greet them all. Then they would all mix and mingle, eating food as it passed by on big silver plates. It was then that most of the Kingdoms came and greeted them so she wasn't allowed to leave the throne, she had to stick with her mother as they greeted them both, the leaders of the Lunar Kingdom. It was the most boring time of the whole event for her.

It was also tradition that a Lunar Harvest hymn is sung, which she did every year since she was four. This year would be no different. She enjoyed this part, until it became more like she was the harvest as greedy eyes stared at her on the dias. Her so called suitors always made their way up to the front and made her incredibly uncomfortable. This year, she was not going to pay attention to them. Minako told her to just stare at her or the wall behind them.

She watched as the crowd began to file into the Grand hall from balcony above them, leaning on the railing without care. She caught sight of a few familiar faces. After the room was cleared, it began to fill again. This time with Kings, Queens, Princesses, and Princes. This was the group she recognized the most people in. They would be ushered to the front once they had all arrived, walking through the 'lower' Royals who would part for them to walk like a parade.

She scanned the crowd looking for the Earth Royals. She had only caught a glimpse of the Queen but not enough to pick her out of this crowd. She thought they would stand out, having not been on the Moon in a century. But they all looked the same, a sea of glittering crowds and jewels.

Makoto caught her eyes, giving her a big wave that was very unlady like. She gave her a flick of the wrist type of wave back. It had only been a week, but she missed her sister princesses so much. She couldn't wait to find them after the ceremony. They gathered at the same spot every year.

A small tap on her shoulder told her it was time. The Royals were being ushered in as she left, lined up in their Kingdoms to the parade.

The Lunars, her mother and herself, were the very last to enter as the host of the Festival. Her Mother, always gorgeous, was wearing a more traditional Lunar gown, white and silver. She was pretty sure the only reason she was allowed to wear anything else was because of her age and lack of higher title. Once she was Queen, gone would be the gowns of any color other than white.

They stood at the door together silent. Inside, a jumble of conversations could be heard through the thick door. Soon, hushing came through clearly and the crowd settled.

The doors creaked loudly as they opened to the now silent room. She didn't bother to look at the faces as they passed, there were too many for her to make sense of them. The applause roared as they entered, making it seem as if the windows would shatter from the overpowering sound.

Making it to the dias of the throne, they turned in perfect unison to face the large crowd. A sea of faces.

Her mother gave the opening speech, thanking them all for coming, reciting the history of the festival, and the history of all their kingdoms working together. Then it was her turn.

The whole room was completely still and silent except for the rustling of bodies moving up to the front. Her suitors. She took one second to look over them, just curious if any had been added or subtracted from the list. Looked the same. The same boring men and the same boring stories were in her future.

She looked for Minako now, finding her with little effort given her bright orange gown. She was making a gesture with her fingers, stretching her lips into a smile. She realized she was frowning and quickly threw on a smile.

She knew many songs, having sung for this festival for many years. She had studied the different folk songs that were a tradition for the event. This time, she settled on one that from Earth. She hoped the gesture wouldn't go unnoticed by the planet, and her mother agreed it was a good idea.

She did her best to keep her eyes anywhere but the front row. She let her eyes take in the crowd as her voice rang out over them. Those who were here for the first time, a few dignitaries, sat in awe of her. Those who had heard her voice every year sat in quiet contemplation. Most had soft smiles on their faces and a few cried.

She let the last note hang for a while, letting it settle on the room and dissipate slowly. The crowd roared again, jumping to their feet. She gave a small bow and returned to her mother's side who was wiping away a tear as well to her surprise. It wasn't tradition, or even appropriate, but she gave her mother a small kiss on the cheek.

Servants made quick of the chairs, taking them away so the floor was open to all movement. Then trays of food began to dance around the guest. Trays were sent by the two of them and she always grabbed as much as she could for they would not come around again.

Kingdom after Kingdom came and greeted the Lunar Royals. And she would have to stand in high heels the entire time.

Venus came first and the families embraced one another. She held Minako tight, wishing so much that her cousin did not have to go.

Minako whispered in her ear, "Nice song, you did beautifully." And then she was pulled away, disappearing into the crowd.

Jupiter came. She hugged Makoto just as tight and Makoto returned it a little too tight.

Pluto, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune came one after another. She was sad to hear their daughters were unable to make it. She loved them all dearly and never got to see them.

A few dignitaries of sectors on Lunar and Jupiter came by.

Mercury came next. The shy little blue haired girl blushed when addressing the Queen, even after years together. She wrapped Ami up in her arms and whispered words of encouragement in her ear, making her blush again.

Rei came up without her parents. Explaining that her mother was ill, and that they would be here later. She walked right up to Serenity and gave her a hug.

The only planet left was Earth, the guest of honor. A beautiful, dark haired woman in a deep red gown came forward with a tall toned man next to her. The woman was warm and kind looking while the man was the polar opposite, grey hair and sharp features gave him the appearance not that different from a statue of marble.

The Queen's kind eyes found her's, "You, my child, have a beautiful voice. A gift from God."

She blushed for some reason, "Thank you," she had been told such before but the Earthen Queen seemed so sincere, "I picked that song in honor of your attendance today."

The Queen put a hand to her chest, "Oh my, what an honor."

She noticed that the King was yet to say a word and her training kicked in, "I hope you found your trip a pleasant one."

The King eyed her, "It was fine thank you."

 _Well so much for conversation with him._

She turned back to the Queen, knowing full well she had a conversation started, "Is it true you brought back the rose flower back from extinction? I have always wanted to see one with my own eyes, but they won't grow here."

The Queen lit up at her words, she gave herself a little pat on the back, and starting looking around as if to try and find someone, "Oh that reminds me...where did he disappear to..ah! Endymon!"

The name made her heart stop. It couldn't possibly be the same man. The Queen waved to someone, motioning them to come over.

Her mother was surprised, but covered it well, "Oh I didn't know your son had made it as well! How wonderful!"

She didn't even know the Earth King and Queen had a son. She was frozen to her spot. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure make its way through crowd towards them. The whole room seemed to slow down as the dark haired man from yesterday came and stood with his parents.

"Queen Selene. May I introduce our son, Prince Endymon of Earth." Esperalda announced him with pride. And why not? His dark hair falling messily over his eyes as he bowed. He stood again revealing his tall and chiseled form. He wore a cream colored vest over a pure white tunic making his dark eyes and skin stand out even more. Black slacks lay underneath with black boots adorned with gold leafing. A dark green cloak hung from his shoulders and a small gold crown sat in his messy hair, peeking through occasionally.

She was staring. But it wasn't till her mother introduced her that she snapped out of it, "Prince Endymon, this is my daughter, Princess Serenity."

He picked up her hand and bowed to kiss it giving her cause to catch her breath. He took a step back, rejoining his parents she felt sad at his quick departure. She felt his eyes watching her. Braving to look up, she found him staring at her with no shame or attempt to hide. Cocky jerk.

"Endymon," his mother chided, "don't you have something for the young Princess?"

He reached into his cloak, coming close to her once again, and pulled out a perfect red rose, offering it to her. Her cheeks burned at the sight of the flower, bringing up the memories of yesterday.

The room went silent as if all the sound had been sucked out of air. She hesitated, looking to her mother as if her secret had been revealed. But her mother was deep in conversation with Endymon's parents. She could see her mouth moving but not what she was saying. No one was paying attention to the two of them.

His voice rang out like a bell, "Don't worry Princess, I removed all those pesky thorns so it's safe."

Turning back to him, she got lost in his eyes. Dark blue pools that swept her up. She felt her cheeks catch fire and while no one was looking, he brushed her lips with the pedals before placing it in her trembling hand. Then he disappeared back into the crowd with his parents.

She managed to hold it together for last handful of Lords and dignitaries but everytime she looked up her eyes were drawn to his like a magnet.

As soon as the last of the parade had greeted them and she was released to herself, she almost sprinted to the meeting spot.

Every year, the girls waited for her in the private garden. They were allowed in but no one else outside the Lunar Royal family was. This meant a reprieve from the assault of curtseys and dull chit chat.

She made it to the garden in record time, huffing from catching her breath as she closed the gate behind her and leaning her weight against it.

"Oh Serenity, how are you going to handle being Queen if you can't even handle the fun stuff?" Rei teased.

Pulling her head off the gate, she saw she was the last to arrive as usual. The girls were spread out around the small fountain that sat at the middle of the garden. Makoto and Minako laid on the fountain edges, enjoying the sun. Rei and Ami sat at a small table under the protective shade of a huge weeping willow, a centerpiece of the garden. Morning glories filled the air with a pungent but pleasant smell. Other than that, the garden was filled with pansies and iris with bushes filling the rest of the space. It was beautiful, but nothing like the garden on Earth.

"You're right Rei. You should be Queen instead." She was only half joking.

Ami picked up on it, "Serenity, don't say such things. You are going to make a wonderful Queen someday."

She wished she shared her confidence.

Makoto peaked up from her sun bathing, probably to fuss at her remarks as well, but got distracted, "Is that what I think it is?!"

She looked to where she was pointing. The gift she had gotten was still planted firmly in her hand. In her rush to get here, she had forgotten about the rose. She held it up like a trophy to them.

"It sure is! Come take a look!"

She made her way over and Minako and Makoto rushed to meet her. They took turns smelling and touching the soft petals of the precious flower. She sat down next to Ami and Rei, allowing them a look at it and enjoying the feeling of finally being off her feet. Her toes were sore from being forced to walk on them.

Rei gave it a quick glance, not too impressed. But Ami was curious as usual, "Where in the galaxy did you get a rose?"

"It was a gift!" She said excitedly. Sure she got gifts when other planets visited but nothing as special as this rose!

Ami was surprised, "That is one expensive gift."

"Not really. It is from Earth. They grow freely there. Well since the Queen brought them back."

Rei caught her mistake, "How do you know that?"

She had messed up, but it was an easy fix, "The Queen, Esperalda...she told me."

But Makoto wasn't convinced, "How did they know about your obsession with roses then? You been dying to see one for years!"

They all looked at her expectantly. That one was a little harder to explain, "It was...a lucky guess. I mean, who wouldn't like a rose?"

Rei baulked, "I wouldn't."

That worked, for now. She had to be more careful. She eyed her prize again, pressing the soft petals to her nose and breathing in its scent. Endymon immediately entered her mind. Something told her that was part of the point of the gift. She couldn't stop the smile from forming on her lips and the blush from creeping on her cheeks. She looked back at her friends, who had moved on from their inquisition.

All except for Minako, who was watching her with a knowing smile.

After the opening ceremony, which had lasted till well past noon, the guest were left to rest up for the next events. Dinner began at 4 and usually lasted till 7. Then the ball would begin at 8 and go on late into the night. In the morning, few would actually get up before 10, which meant festivities would start up again then, being more of the same.

From this point on, she didn't have to be separated from her friends. Well, at least for not large amounts of time. They would spend every second they could together for the rest of the festivities. That was the only part she enjoyed any more.

The sun was slowly setting, telling them they were out of time for now. On to dinner. This would be one of the times they wouldn't all be together. The dining room had been set with a bunch of small round tables. Each one held about twenty people, a few more if the guest were a small child. There were a handful of them but they all ranged from 4-9. The future of their society.

They all filed out of the garden slowly, still chatting away as they left. She pulled the gate tight on the garden, a single guard stood outside. It was an unusual post; typically no one was guarding the garden. But given the increase in bodies in and around the Palace, security had been increased. It wasn't just for the Lunar family, it was for all the visitors as well. There had never been an incident on Lunar but her mother said it was because they were safe.

The girls were a few steps ahead of her now, but she could quickly catch up. Pulling up her skirt, she picked up her pace. She had just rounded the corner, re-entering the Palace, when a hand caught her arm, pulling her into a corner behind a pillar along the wall. She let out a squeak before dark blue eyes crashed over her, stilling her voice inside her throat.

Endymon held a single finger up to his mouth, still on her arm, he lowered both, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the pillar.

He had a maddening smile on his cocky face, "Wow, security is tight around here," he talked softly as if prove his point.

"Yes, well not everyone likes to follow the rules."

He eyed her, accusingly, to which she quickly responded, "That was different. I was being diplomatic."

He laughed, "Is that what you call almost starting a war?"

She crossed her arms as well, "I would have never let a war start over me."

He inched closer to her words, "Oh but I'm sure many would gladly fight over you."

She was getting uncomfortable with his closeness and his words, but she couldn't seem to make her body move.

"Don't you mean, 'for' me?" She added weakly.

He moved closer still, "No."

He was standing over her now, forcing her to crane her neck upwards to continue and look at he in the face, "You could have told me who you were yesterday."

"And ruin the surprise?" He was gloating.

Her back hit the wall, she didn't realise she had been backing away, he had stayed on her, moving with her. But now she was trapped. Like prey, her predator stood over her, ready to make the kill.

She was sure he could hear her heart as it beat loudly against her rib cage. She had had her share of close encounters, with her persistent suitors, but she always got away. There was never any need or desire to stay as long as she had in this dark corner with Endymon. She knew she needed to leave, to get out of there, as the girls would soon come looking for her. It would not look good to be like this with the Prince of Earth. But she just couldn't make her feet move in the direction they needed to go.

He opened his mouth to say something else but was stopped by the sound of the girls calling out to her, looking for her.

He stepped back away from her, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Enjoy your gift." He pointed to her rose still in her hand and walked away.

She was left alone in the darkness. Her heart racing so fast, she thought for sure it would run right out of her chest, after him. She put a hand to her face, the cold skin on it felt good on her overheated face. She calmed down as much as she could and stepped out of the dark towards her friends.

The girls arrived to the dining hall just as everyone else was settling into their seats. It was a mixed bag of Royals; everyone was mixed up no matter their stature. Makoto, Rei, and Ami left her side, heading off to their seats sadly. But Minako was still with her. Every night, the seating changed, giving everyone a chance to meet and talk and at least one night at the Queen's table. Save for Minako. Venus was the only living relative of the Moon Kingdom. They sat at the Queen's table every night.

She sat next to her mother and Minako sat on the other side of her. Next to Minako sat a Duke from Saturn, Febius. A red faced short man with an impressive, but sadly obvious, toupee. His medals of honor jingled on his chest when he laughed as he sat in a military uniform. His political opinions he always shared and they were usually whatever was against whomever sat at the table. He would at least keep things interesting.

Across from her a Duke and Dutchess from the Gaseous Halo. They had traveled the farthest of all the other guest to be here so they had the honor of joining the Queen for the first banquet.

Next to them, her Aunt and Uncle, Minako's parents. Minako's mother, Alaina, was originally from the Moon, the sister of her mother. But years on Venus had caused her to lose the tell tale signs like her pale skin. It was now a beautiful, healthy brown. Her hair was golden and fell down her back and shoulders. Being from the Moon, she currently wore a white gown similar to her mother's but instead of silver touches, it had gold. She would change into Venus' colors for the ball.

The seats on the other side of her mother sat empty.

Everyone was just settling down when the Earthens arrived, entering quickly but regally. A few whispers flew up into the air and all turned to see the Royal couple and son make their way to sit right next to the Queen. Putting Endymon directly in her line of sight for the entire meal.

He led his mother to her seat, pulling out her chair for her, but then his eyes went to her and stayed on her until he himself was seated. To which he gave his attention to anyone else at the table. Something told her this was going to be one of the longest dinners of her life.

Minako gave her a gentle nudge of her shoulder, leaning in to whisper to her, "That's the Prince from Earth?"

She answered her with a silent nod and her audacious cousin answered with a silent 'Wow'.

Her mother stood to welcome the guest and start the meal. As soon as she was finished, the first course arrived like magic, evering timed perfectly like a practiced dance. Many of the servants worked in the Palace before she was born. They had seen many Harvest Festivals. She knew all the servants names in the Palace, she felt it was only fair given that they all knew her name.

Henry, the longest working butler in the Palace, served their table, being the most experienced. He leaned over, placing her plate before her and gave her a quick wink.

"Thank you Henry." She said sweetly.

He gave her a quick bow and disappeared.

"Oh my, he must be a Palace favorite?"

The question came from Esperalda, gaining the table's ear, "The Princess knows his name!"

Febius let out a loud but harmless laugh, "The young Princess knows all the servants' names!"

Esperalda looked shocked, "Is that true?"

"Yes, my Serenity knows everyone who works in the Palace," her mother spoke with pride.

Even the King, who she had since learned was named Edward, was impressed, "That is a good quality for a leader to have. Solidarity with your subjects."

Endymon seemed surprised by his father's words, "Why father, I have never seen you so impressed."

"I am impressed every day by the rising of another sun, your mother's ability to take so long to get dressed, and your ability to survive your lewdness."

The table laughed, save for the King who was dead serious the whole time. She wondered if he ever smiled.

First course was removed and second took its place without incident. The conversation was light and pleasant. Until Febius opened his mouth.

"So, your Majesty," he pointed his question at Edward, "how have your trade regulations been going? Since your Kingdom cut out the Lunars and any other planet other than your own?"

The tension was so thick, you could slice it, and she desperately wished someone would.

Edward wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked Febius square in the eye. She felt nations had crumbled under his look alone, "We have been doing just fine thank you."

"Fine yes, but even you have to admit father, we have not been thriving like the History books say we did when trade was open with all the Planets."

Tension returned, thanks to Endymon, who did not fear his father as she felt he should.

Her mother stepped in, always the diplomat, "Thriving is a relative term. Your people are not starving or unhappy. They are satisfied race under your parents' gracious rule."

Happy in her answer, the King and Queen nodded satisfied...but Endymon was not, "They may not be starving but they are far from poor. Forgive me your Majesty, but you have not had the privilege of meeting our people yourself. To no fault of your own."

Was he trying to start a war?! Minako looked at her, warning her with her eyes of danger.

Endymon continued, "And they are happy because they do not know any better. Ignorance is bliss your Majesty," he pulled a coin out of his pocket and showed it to the table, "A single gold coin like this one is considered a gift from God to our so called happy people."

His mother was clearly embarrassed by her son, "Endymon, surely you cannot know that…"

He cut her off, looking over at her, "I have seen it myself just yesterday."

Her heart raced, feeling as though everyone at the table knew her secret. She looked around nervously but no one seemed the wiser. Still, her heart pounded as Endymon continued to bore his eyes into her. As if she was the one he wanted to understand his outburst the most.

Still holding the coin and her eye, he went on, "A poor woman, who sells apples for her living, received this coin yesterday from a gracious donor. I saw it happen with my own eyes. The woman wouldn't even use the coin, she was sure it was a gift from the Goddess herself. It took a lot of convincing to get her to give it me…."

The coin was ripped out of his hand by the Duke of the Gaseous halo, who eyed it suspiciously, "If you got this yesterday, then why does it bare the Earth and Moon signia? I thought all of these coins fell out of commission a century ago?"

Her throat tightened and she unconsciously grabbed Minako's hand. Her cousin's eye studied her while she kept hers glued to the scene in front of her.

Endymon shrugged, "Guess the donor held onto it for a long time. Or it was the Goddess Selene."

Queen Selene took over once again, "If things are truly that bad, I would be more than happy to discuss renegotiate the trade agreement. However, now is not the time for such discussions."

And that was the end of that. The conversation stayed relatively peaceful after that. Mostly the table asked questions about life on Earth as none of them had lived in a time when they were allowed to visit the Earth. Endymon answered, his father remained stoic and still, while his mother had a private conversation with her mother. The two sat side by side and leaned into each other, wrapped up in their own world. Maybe the trade agreement was back on the table after all.

"I'm sorry we keep monopolizing the conversation, but I think we can all agree that we are curious about the Earth and your customs."

She turned her focus back to the table upon hearing her cousin's voice. The whole table was wrapped up in Endymon as he told tale after tale all about the Earth.

He caught her eye again, "Yes. Some more than others."

He was going to keep teasing her till the end of time. Minako squeaked, pulling her hand roughly from hers. She hadn't realized she was still holding it and given by Minako's reaction, she must have squeezed it pretty hard.

"But I am interested in your customs as well. For example, I loved hearing the Princess Serenity sing this morning."

The table agreed with him, "Yes", "A lovely tradition", "I look forward to it every year".

"In fact," she feared where he was going with this, "I would love to hear it again."

Before anyone could say anything else, she interjected on her own behalf, "I'm not a songbird. I don't perform on request."

The table looked at her, stunned by her reaction. Save for Endymon who acted like the cat who caught the canary. A sharp elbow from Minako brought her out of her stew, and she quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late, the words had been said. Even her mother had looked up at her little outburst, scolding her with her eyes.

She needed to do what she could to salvage herself, "But if it would please everyone, I suppose I could sing another song."

They all chided her on, happy for such a shift in tradition. Then, much to her horror, Minako began tapping her glass with her spoon, signaling for the whole room to quiet down. Now she had to serenade the entire court. She could kill Minako, but first she would kill Endymon.

Standing slowly, she wracked her brain for a song. All the folk songs flashing through her mind's eye. Then she had a thought, since she was already breaking tradition, why not stray and sing something more modern? She settled quickly on a tune that came from Venus. Minako had taught it to her. It was about men not being too hubris in their intentions. It was written to honor the beauty of the Venisons but she felt it fit perfectly for the moment. She was sure few would take note of the words of the song, focusing more on the melody and her voice.

Sitting down, she could tell by the look on her mother's face, that she had been paying attention and was not pleased. But it was worth it. The rest of the room applauded loudly, a thunderous roar to end the meal.

Endymon applauded with a smug smile to which she returned in earnest. Her way of secretly slapping him in the face. Her mother would shirley have words with her later, but now it was time to get ready for the ball.

Each ball had a theme of course. Usually, they were all some kind of version of "Living in harmony" theme that didn't really require much thought on the wardrobe. However, this year, her mother gave the Earthens the honor of picking a theme for the first ball. She assumed it was Esperalda who settled on the theme, 'Midnight Mystery'. It apparently meant that it was a masquerade, with masks and costumes. Everyone was to keep their identity a secret till midnight, although she didn't see how anyone could possibly not know one another's identity. Still, it was a nice change from the same boring theme it usually held.

She was still expected to wear the Lunar colors though.

The Princesses of all the planets had gathered in her room before the ball, planning to walk down together. Each of them beautiful in their planet's colors; Makoto wore dark green and dressed as a wood fairy; Minako in golden yellow like the sun, dressed as the Venetian Goddess Aphrodite; Ami in an airy blue looked like a cloud; and Rei wore bright red but didn't dress a character, she just wore a mask. They all had on masks but she could tell them apart no problem.

She wore a white dress that fit tightly all the way down to her knees. The back of the dress dipped low and it had sleeves but they were only there in decoration as the tool they were made of hung loosely around her upper arm.

Her handmaidens had taken great care in creating costume pieces for her. Fixed to the buns of her Lunar hairstyle where two white bunny ears. Her mask was made of a fluffy cotton pulled and stretched till it looked similar to Ami's cloud like mask and covered in silver glitter. Her moon crest still shone through like the sun on a cloudy day. They even attached a tail to her, although she felt that might be going a bit far. The last thing she needed was more help attracting attention to such parts of her body.

The last thing placed on her was a small crown, it was made up of moons and stars cut out of silver.

It was going to be a lot of fun, the ball. Too bad she wouldn't get to enjoy it. Her time would be spent being passed like a toy back and forth amongst her suitors. There were twelve. And all twelve of them would keep her monopolized on the dance floor the whole night. Her feet ached at the thought.

The Grand hall, that had held the opening ceremonies that morning, was now transformed into a glittering hall of twinkling lights and flowers. It looked like a moon lit garden, covered with a blanket of stars. The staff had really outdone themselves. She wished it could look like this all the time.

She used the beauty of the room as a distraction. The eyes on her bore into her making her want to shed her own skin and run. The heels she was wearing would have made escape difficult. And the small train at the back of her dress as well, which dragged the floor as she walked, shortening at the front for her feet to move without trouble.

When her father was still alive, him and her mother would open the ball by having the first dance. Each year, a Royal couple was selected to take their place. This year, her mother had given the honor to the Earthen King and Queen. Her mother was laying it on thick for reconciliation. And none of the other kingdoms protested. Being the closest planet and having such hostilities wasn't good for the Kingdom. They could declare war and attack us before any other planet had a chance to reach them for aid. The Lunar army was good, but they did not have Earth's numbers, not by half. And no one wanted war.

She watched as the unlikely couple swirled. Talk about complete opposites. Esperalda wore a beautiful purple gown with gold and black ribbons twisting and flowing from her hips. She was some kind of bird but she was unsure as to which one. Edward wore a black military uniform. No mask, no costume. Clearly he was not playing along. What a strange couple they were, but they looked beautiful together.

Soon the moment she dreaded had arrived. The floor was open to all. Before the words were finished being announced, she was surrounded by three suitors; the Prince of Titan, a moon of Saturn's, his name was Loe; Prince of Phobos and Phoebe, two satellites of Mars, named Kyle and Carl but she always got mixed up on which one was which. They were all from the smallest kingdoms and they always jumped her for a dance first. They were the most desperate as they had the weakest Kingdoms. They wanted the power that would come with being King of the Moon, but so did all of them.

She didn't even look to see whose offered hand she took, she just grabbed the one closest to her. Phobos. She had to be careful, not sure whether he was Carl or Kyle, calling him Highness the whole time. It gave her an out and him a thrill. He was also the worst of all of them at dancing, stepping on her toes a few times as her always did. She should have tried to put his dance off till after her toes went numb.

Next was the Duke of Elara, moon of Jupiter and Makoto's Uncle Samir. She wasn't sure if he was actually serious when he asked to be considered, but he had stuck with it. She remembered him chasing her and Makoto around when they were children, pretending to be a monster. He was her oldest suitor by far.

Then, was her favorite suitor. He was only 12 which meant there was no way she was picking him, but she thought it was adorable that he still tried. It was Rei's little brother, Zedd. His hair and features were just like Rei's and now he was going through puberty making his voice squeak periodically. But he was sweet and he let her lead when they danced.

"Come on Serenity, you know you are going to pick me. Why not put these poor fools out of their misery?"

Rei had told her that Zedd had been in love with her since he was five, but what was brotherly love turned into romantic as he got older. He was truly the only one not after power.

She laughed, "Shall we announce it tonight?"

He knew she wasn't serious, "There is only a four year difference, that isn't that much when talking about 16 and twenty."

"But it is quite a bit when talking about 12 and 16."

"I am the only one who truly loves you."

"I know that." She leaned over and gave him a chaste peck on the lips causing the poor boy to swoon.

Another group of suitors surrounded her as soon as she dropped Zedd's hand. Maybe she should just pick Zedd. At least then these other jerks would leave her alone. But Zedd would be more like a puppy than a husband. She hadn't decided if that was a good thing or not.

Coming to her rescue, Makoto swept in between the throng, sweeping her away. The two twirled on the dance floor together taking turns leading. Most of the guest were drunk at this point, too out of it to get offended by their lack of propriety. Most laughed, a few applauded, and her suitors frowned.

"You looked like you needed saving."

"Oh thank you Makoto, you are my white knight. I wish I could dance with you all night."

She laid her head on her tall friend's shoulder and took a small break from her nerves. But it was over all too soon. A Duke took Makoto away and Phoebe took his chance.

The song was not even halfway over before Phoebe was stopped mid spin, "Would you excuse us? We are trying to dance."

"Trying is the right choice of words."

She looked at him over her shoulder, knowing who it was without looking. She hadn't seen him all night and the sight of him shook her nerves up all over again. His outfit was similar to his fathers, black and gold military formals. But he wore a mask. Not that it mattered, she recognised his eyes, his voice, hair,...scent.

"Excuse me?" Phoebe snapped her out of it. His face twisted in ugly disapproval.

"I'm sorry, a shameless joke. May I cut in?"

Her blood ran cold, never had anyone 'cut it' and interrupted a dance with a suitor. Especially not another guest. If people starting cutting in on dances, it would be an endless battle on the dance floor. Mayhem and bloodshed!

But Phoebe let her go, outraged, but still let her go. Endymon gave a small bow and held his hand out to her. She could feel every eye on the two of them. It would look bad if the Princess of the Moon refused to dance with the Prince of Earth. Her hands were tied.

She took his hand and he pulled her in close. Not as close as some of her more aggressive suitors, like the Duke from Lunar's sister colony, but still close enough to be wrapped up in the smell of roses.

So far, he was the best dancer of the night. Even better than Makoto, but she would never let either of them know it. The music washed over them and she allowed herself to get wrapped up in the dance. At least he didn't ruin a good dance with mindless talk.

"So how does it feel to dance with someone who knows what they are doing?"

Spoke too soon….

"Makoto is an excellent dancer."

He looked at her confused as to who she was talking about. "Princess of Jupiter."

"Oh you mean the tall girl. Yeah she's pretty."

Something stung her heart at his words, making her want to be nasty, "Well she has many suitors but I'm sure one more won't hurt."

"Hmm but not as many as you huh?"

"Yes well, one should not be judged by the number of wanting men."

"And what should they be judged by? What their suitors say about them?" he leaned into her ear and whispered, "Because they all talk about you like a piece of meat."

She felt she might cry. It was one thing to suspect what others think about you, it was another to be told. She was thankful for their difference in height, it made it easier to hide her eyes from him as they tried to fill with water.

He twirled her around and then pulled her back in, "Well except for the little one, what is he 10?"

"12," she spat out, frustrated and angry with her partner already.

"Well he is a keeper. You should just pick him and put the poor kid out of his misery."

So now, they either wanted her as a trophy or she was dangling them needlessly. Was there no end to this man's callousness? No wonder Lunar didn't shed a tear when Earth broke ties.

The song ended finally, but he didn't let go. It was unheard of for an unpaired couple to dance more than one song in a row. No suitor dared approach, given the delicate nature between their two Kingdoms. She could make out a few of their seething faces as he twirled her around. This did not look good. But the crowd kept cheering them on with smiling faces and applause. As if all hope for their nation was dependant upon a silly dance.

Sensing her unease, he pulled her in a little tighter to keep her from escaping, "Let's piss them off a little more shall we."

She looked at his face at last, tears burning her eyes, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking around the room at the same people she had been. He was doing this to upset her suitors? It was all a game to him and she was just a piece on the board.

The song couldn't have ended any sooner for her. Again he held on as if to take another dance from her. Instead, she ripped her hand from his and pulled away quickly so he could not grab her up again.

She slipped through the other dancers and through the crowd watching the dance getting behind them, using them as a shield so no one could see her to follow. Then she disappeared through an open door, not caring where it led.

She was out on the terrace. Below was the largest garden on the Palace grounds and above was the Earth. Normally she found joy in seeing the beautiful planet hanging above her but tonight it filled her with anger and sorrow.

The railing felt cool under her grip, which she tightened in an attempt to right her feelings.

"Serenity, are you alright?" She had only been gone a few seconds, but already Rei had found her. Her hand on her shoulder, grounding her back to reality.

"Excuse me," the two of them turned, finding none other than her offender, "but I need to speak with the Princess alone."

Rei stood in front of her defensively, "I think you've done enough."

But she gently pushed her aside, "It's okay Rei," her dear friend looked at her again, unsure of her orders, "I need to fight my own battles."

Rei gave her hand a squeeze and soon she was alone to face her battle.

She didn't want to give him any chance to speak again, she had heard enough, "Things here may not be as they are on Earth, but there are certain expectations that must be met…"

"Like marrying one of those jackasses?" He interrupted.

"Each one of those...jackasses...is suitable in both title and stacher…"

"Oh please, each one of them is a joke. Not even half of the man you need to be by your side."

"The man who will be by my side is my choice. Not yours, not anyone else's."

"Is that what you tell yourself?"

She wanted to rip him apart, "It is what my mother tells our Kingdom. A Kingdom that has stood the test of time apart from yours. You would be wise to keep your thoughts out of it."

"My thoughts? Oh, I haven't even told you my thoughts yet."

"Oh really? Who's the...jackass now?"

"Do you even know what that word means?"

"I figured it out. It means...something not good."

He laughed at her, only making her blood boil, "The more I get to know you, Endymon, the more….irritating you get!" Not bothering with titles.

"Irritating? I'll take it. Means I'm getting under your skin."

"You most certainly are not!"

"Keep your voice down. People will start to stare."

"Didn't seem to bother you on the dance floor when you were dragging me around like the carcass of your prized kill."

"I don't think I was dragging you…."

"What else would you call it? Using me to piss on my suitors. Do you dare deny it?"

Without hesitation, "No".

She was thrown back by his answer, she had expected him to deny it, "Why? Why would you cause such anarchy? Do you love chaos that much?!"

"I did it cause they deserved it." Now he was angry, "The way they talked about you?! They don't deserve to look at you, let alone touch you."

She became silent, unsure of herself. But she didn't break from his stare. He watched her looking to see if she understood, but she didn't, not fully anyways.

He stepped up to her, towering over her, "Not one of them deserves you, Serenity."

"Then...who does?" She asked the question, but she was pretty sure of the answer.

He scooped her up in one swift move, bringing her up to his lips in a crushing move. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him as close as she could. Melting together as they caught fire.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

" _For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge the more grief."_

― _**Anonymous**_ _,_ _ **Holy Bible: King James Version**_

1:34 am.

It was as if her clock was mocking her. She hadn't wanted the dream to end. Endymon and Serenity, their beautiful romance, was more than the smoking husk that was her and Mamoru.

She wept uncontrollably. No matter how she tried, she couldn't get them to stop. Seconds passed. Then minutes. They continued to fall without any sign of stopping. A squeak and a creek and Chibi-usa crawled into her bed with her.

In the dark, she could barely make out her little face, "Usagi-chan, did you have a bad dream?"

"No Chibi-usa. It was a really good dream."

"Then...why are you crying?"  
"...because I wanted it to be real. I didn't want to wake up."

Sobs shook her body and the bed.

Chibi-usa hugged her tightly, "I have dreams like that too. About my mommy and daddy."

She sniffed, controlling herself for the moment, "Chibi-usa, what happened to your parents?"

A sniffle came from Chibi-usa now, "They're gone. They're gone and it's all my fault."

Now she was sobbing, her little body shaking with each heart-breaking sound, "I miss my parents so much."

"I miss mine too."

Something they had in common, unfortunately. They cried together, until Chibi-usa fell asleep. Usagi continued to hold the little girl all night. Her protector of the night, keeping her safe from any nightmares that might try and attack her tonight. If only she had someone to do the same for her.

Work dragged on forever. All she wanted to do was go home and go to bed, hoping her dream from last night would continue.

Closing lasted the longest out of any other shift. And if a customer decided to come in right at closing, it added another hour at least.

She was busy mopping, part of the closing work, when the dreaded sound of the front door bell rang out.

She was the only one closing, it was a Sunday night after all, that meant that all the closing work and any customers were her responsibility. It was thirty minutes till closing, who was this jerk?

She came around the counter to see it was the guy who left her the big tip a week ago. For a guy who was overly generous, he wasn't too considerate about closing times.

She readied her pad and her emotions and made her way to the table he had picked, all the way in the back corner. He had on a light grey polo shirt and dark jeans. His hair fell messily over his eyes as he sat reading a book of all things.

"Hello, I'm Usagi and I will be your server tonight. What can I get for you?"

"Black coffee please."

Seriously? She had just tossed the last of the coffee out. Now she was going to have to brew another pot for one person. Usagi left quickly, hoping to get it done as fast as possible.

She stood right next to the pot, waiting for it to finish brewing.

The one cook left in the kitchen walked by with a stack of now clean plates, "Haven't you ever heard, 'A watched pot never boils'?"

He was laughing as he walked away, getting to finish all of his closing work.

She went back out to check on her 'guest', "I'm sorry the coffee is going to be another minute. Can I get you anything else."

He looked up at her for the first time and smiled a beautifully at her, "No just the coffee please, Usagi."

It was unsettling, him knowing her name. She did give it to him. Twice. But it was still strange to have a stranger call her so informally. No other guest had ever called her by name.

Walking back into the safety and solace of the kitchen, she saw that the coffee had in fact brewed, unwatched. She quickly fixed a cup and took it out, leaving it and the table behind as she went back to her closing work. She could still get most of it done while she waited on this guy.

She was done. Had been for 15 minutes, but the guy still sat sipping his coffee. The cook, Theo, stood next to her watching the guy. Theo was waiting on the cup he now had to wash and she on a table she had to close. There was no sense in both of them being there.

"Theo, just go. I'll wash the mug."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you here alone."

"I'm not alone, I've got Mr. Congeniality here. Plus Hal is upstairs to lock up when I'm done. I'm far from alone."

That was all he needed to hear. All that was left was his apron on the floor and the puff of dust out door. She went to check on her table once more. He was done with his coffee, finally. He put his book down once she got to the table and looked up at her expectantly. She gave him a smile, but left quickly with his dirty dishes.

"You can clean my table now, I don't mind."

Did this guy just need a place to hang out? Why couldn't he do this at home? With the dishes in one hand and a rag in the other, she wiped down his table and cleared off all the items (salt and pepper shaker, menu, ext.). His table was officially done. Except he was still sitting at it. She left with all the goods from the table. With quick motions, she washed the mug and put away the table toppers.

She heard the ding of the door and she prayed it was not another customer, they were WAY past closing time. Almost too scared to look, she peaked out to see no one was there. The place was completely empty. She ran in the back, grabbing her purse and rolling her apron up, shoving it into her locker.

Making her way to the front door she called out, "Hal, I'm done. Heading out now!"

A bodiless voice rang out from the stairs, "Okay. Thank you! Lock the door behind you!"

She swung by the table, to pick up the money that sat on top of it. There sat one bill. A Fifty. She couldn't believe it, this guy left her a fifty dollar bill for a .50 cent cup of coffee. What the hell?! She ran out the door but the guy was long gone. If he ever came back, she would confront him about it. There is generous and then there is creepy.

But now, she just wanted to get home. She pulled the door shut tight and checked to make sure it locked, then made her way to her car. A shiver ran up her spine, the feeling had returned. Someone was watching her again.

Turning every which way, she looked frantically around. A shadow moved, too quickly to be human. Then it moved again behind her. And again. And again. It had her running around in circles, literally.

She had had enough, "Come out and face me you coward!"

It got silent. Nothing moved except her eyes as they searched around her. But everything was still now.

Her communicator screeched out, slicing the silence to ribbons and making her jump a foot, "Usagi-chan! The enemy has been spotted. Sending you coordinates now. The others are on the way!"

She looked at the spot sent to her by Luna. It was really close to here. Like, REALLY close...actually…

A blast in the near distance broke her out of her thoughts. Turning just in time to see the pink hue of power fade in the distance, she headed at the speed of light in that direction.

She hadn't needed the help of her comm's GPS to find her way, she just followed the sound of screams. As she got closer, people ran past her, a few running into her in their panic. One woman even tried to plead with her to turn around, to not go where she had to go.

First to arrive, she found a small hiding spot and transformed, her power surging through her like drug. Her uniform disappeared before her eyes, turning into her fuku of blue and white. The creature was attacking people, grabbing up five at a time with it's eight arms. There was no time to waste.

Along with it's eight arms, it had red flesh covering it from head to toe. As she rounded around to face it, she saw that it looked like...well it looked like an Octopus. There was no other way to put it. It was Octo-man.

One of its free tentacle reached out to grab her up as well but it was an easy dodge. Octo-man didn't seem to have too many powers of use.

"Blur-bluuur blurrr blur blurrrrr!"

She stared incredulously at it, "I'm sorry...I didn't catch a word of that."

It tried again, "Blu bar blu blar blurrrrr!"

"I...I can't...I can't understand a word, I'm sorry."

It turned and spit a huge mound of sea weed out of its mouth, "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Sailor Moon. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Octo-man.."

"HA! I was RIGHT!"

It went for her again in frustration, this time managing to catch her off guard, sending her flying. She landed hard on her bottom, knocking the wind out of her for a second.

"Hmmm, you don't seem so tough. I think Esmeralda overestimated you!"

"Esmeralda? She sent you? Where is she? What do you monsters want?!"

"I can only speak for my mistress but she wants you dead and the little rabbit back."

Her eyes danced from the creature's eyes to every single person it still held in its grasp. Each one was terrorfied, none of them signed up for this. They each had a beautiful life that they belonged to, away from fear and death. She had to get them away first.

She quickly pulled her tiara out and charged it up. The creature laughed a garbled mess, like it was underwater, "That won't kill me. Better try again little princess."

She blanched. It just called her princess. Did this enemy know who she was too?

She couldn't think about that now, she turned, flinging the tiara as she turned. It headed straight for the creature's face. But as if it were alive, turned right before hitting its mark, slicing through all five tentacle that held an innocent captive.

They fell to the ground, wrapped up in a now lifeless coil of flesh. They were in shock. The creature howled, thrown off by the pain, but it wouldn't last long. She jumped to the closest prisoner, pulling the rubbery rope off of them. The others seemed to snap out of it, and wiggled their way to freedom as well. But then they just stood there, staring at her. The creature roared, ready for revenge.

"Run." Still they stood there, like they didn't want to leave a small girl like herself behind. It was noble, but stupid. "RUN!" They kicked up their heels and split.

Octo-man looked toward their fleeting forms and prepared to attack them again. She took a step closer, gaining its attention quickly, "Five down, three to go! Guess we will have to call you Tripod Man now!"

It laughed through its seething anger and pain, "You are better at math than they told me."

Ouch. That one hurt.

"If you were sent to kill me, then you are doing a sorry job of it."

Without another word, it flung a remaining tentacle at her. The fight had begun.

She had no problem dodging the tentacle as they came one after one. She pulled her tiara off again, holding it in her hand. Like a scythe, she sliced through each one as it came at her till there was nothing left. Octo-man looked really pathetic now, just a stump of a man, his fallen tentacle wiggling their last on the ground around her. She pulled out her scepter, ready to end this and go to bed.

Then everything changed. It was like the molecules in the air were fluctuating. It lasted a few seconds, but it was undeniable, something had changed.

A shrill, awful laugh filled the empty business park, usually bustling with people. She was suddenly thankful it was so late and the park had been so empty. This could have been a lot worse.

She didn't need to look to see that Esmeralda was behind her now, "Well well well, you didn't even think twice before walking into my little trap did you? And all by yourself too. Silly princess."

Keeping her scepter on Octo-man, she looked over her shoulder at the annoying woman, "So you know who I am?"

"Oh course we do, we are the Dark Moon. We have known before you did that you are Princess Serenity incarnate. But none of that matters now. I don't care what the Prince says, I'm going to kill you myself."

She waved her hand and she prepared for the blast, but it never came. Instead, Octo-man began to shimmy and shake, she had given him a power up. Outwardly, he didn't change, but she could feel his power grow within him.

"And just in case your stupid friends decide to interrupt…."

She threw a small ball of energy to her right, away from her. She watched as it hit something invisible. It lit up, a bright purple, stretching out a foot around them. That's what changed, she put up a barrier around her. Now even if the Senshi arrived in time, they would be forced to watch from the side lines.

But she didn't need them to take care of these two.

"Octo-man, show her your real power!"

He shot something out of his mouth, It shifted and bubbled as it raced towards her but she dodged it with time to spare. It hit a table and chair not far from her. As soon as it hit, it ballooned out, absorbing the table and the chair. She watched as the bubble lifted just above the ground and the table and chair float inside, trapped in a bubble of water. She touched the the bubble, expecting it to pop or at least get her fingers wet, but instead it held solid. More than that, it was like thick glass. The chair floated downwards and bounced off the bottom of the bubble but the bubble showed no signs of popping.

It would not be good to get trapped in that.

To make her point, that she wanted to kill her, Esmeralda then lit the bubble up with her green lightning. The table and chair, charred wreckage within, continued to bounce aimlessly within.

Octo-man continued his assault, desperately trying to catch her in a bubble. Esmeralda looked on with glee, that turned to anger the longer it took for Octo-man to complete his end of the plan. She was sure that Esmeralda wanted to catch her in the bubble then torcher her for a while til she drowned in front of her eyes.

But she was getting annoyed with this, "Why don't you put Octo-boy to bed and face me yourself you coward!"

Esmeralda was enraged by her words, making her reckless, just what she had hoped. She gave a signal to Octo-man and the creature took a powder. The annoying woman powered up, glowing a sick green color. But she wasn't stronger than her though, not by half.

Before her power could take hold, Esmeralda sprung at her. She may not have been powerful, but she was fast. Knocking her back with the back of her hand across her face, she skid to a stop after several inches of sliding backwards on her feet.

She wiped the blood that trickled from her mouth, a small wound.

Esmeralda smiled, smug having landed a hit, "That is for taking my Prince away from me."

Completely confused, but Esmeralda didn't explain any further, she raced towards her, expecting to catch her off guard again. But that would be the one and only hit she would land on her tonight.

They went hand to hand, Esmeralda keeping her busy so she couldn't build up her strength. Blocking everything she threw at her, they were both having difficulty getting a hit in on one another.

Esmeralda had no patience, she growled loudly getting angry. But it didn't scare her, she knew that if she could stay calm and focused then Esmeralda would slip up and end the fight for her.

Esmeralda tried again to land a punch to her face, but she easily stopped it, holding Esmeralda's fist in her hand. But Esmeralda's face twisted into an ugly smile. Electricity raced through her body. She felt it popping and sizzling under her skin. The pain was intense, more than she expected from such a weak opponent. But no matter how weak, electricity hurts...a lot!

Letting go, the pain continued for several more seconds as the electricity took its sweet time leaving her body. Leaving her vulnerable, which the witch didn't hesitate.

Blow after blow came on her smoldering body. The effects of the electricity had long worn off but Esmeralda was having a blast punching and kicking her while she was down. Her ribs, front and back burned from the assault and Esmeralda just cackled as she shimmered around her, hitting her at all sides. Something inside her began to burn. Not in a painful way, it was pleasant. It slowly spread at first, but with each blow, it picked up pace. Till finally, it was all over. The pain she felt was gone, replaced with energy.

Esmeralda gasped and backed away, "No..NO!"

But it was too late. Before she could run away back to their 'lair', she grabbed her arms and held her tight. Her power rippled off of her, gold ribbons encircling her. Esmeralda's face close to hers, she could see the terror that her eyes held beneath them.

"They messed up. The Negaverse made you stronger. That was not the deal."

"So you are part of the Negaverse?"

The woman just laughed, shaking her head at the joke that Usagi was not let onto. For the first time since they met, she felt sorry for the woman. Clearly the woman was overwhelmed by something or someone.

She gave her a smile, but didn't let go, "You don't have to do this. You could leave them, the Dark Moon, and stay here with us. We would protect you. You could have a normal life."

At first, she was surprised by her kindness, then her anger returned, "How dare you. I would never want to join your weak little family. Who the hell would ever want normal?"

"I would! It is what everyone wants. To be happy and normal. A life without fear. That is what I am offering you…"

"I don't want it. I don't want your 'happiness'. I don't want your.. 'Normal'. I want to end your pathetic little life...and the lives of everyone you have ever loved."

She was talking about Mamoru. Esmeralda had already tried to kill him the last time. Why was she gunning for him so bad?

As if she read her mind, Esmeralda answered, "You took the man I loved away, so now I'm going to take yours!"

"What are you talking about?"

Esmeralda wiggled and struggled in her hold, trying to free herself. Something twisted behind her, she could feel that they were no longer alone, that someone else had joined them. With Esmeralda's force field, she knew they weren't team Usagi.

She turned the two of them around, placing Esmeralda between her and the new comer. She could see it was a man, dressed in an all white military uniform with a long white and purple cape, but she couldn't see his face. He must have been hiding it somehow with his powers, because all of him was visible save for his face which was shrouded in shadows.

"My Prince!" Esmeralda screamed with both glee and relief, her rescue had arrived.

"Oh Esmeralda. You have now disobeyed me twice. I told you. The Princess is not to be harmed."

Esmeralda shifted in her grip and she let go, knowing holding her was now pointless with the master here, "Forgive me my Lord." She fell to her knees before him, gripping tightly to the front of his pants.

"I'm sorry Esmeralda," his voice was cold, dead, he held on emotions at all for this woman, "but I can't allow insubordination."

She backed away, fear gripping her completely. Her eyes were wild, looking for some way out. She ran, but it was pointless. The man waved his hand and she shreked out in agony. Her body shriveled before her own eyes, till she fell to the ground, no longer moving.

Tears fell down her hot angry cheeks.

She turned back to the man, Esmeralda's murderer, "How could you?! She was one of your own!"

In a flicker, the man was right in her face and still the shadow covered his face from her, "She wouldn't follow orders. I can't have that."

She could feel her anger surging within. She was likely to make a mistake now, but she just couldn't find the care. This man had killed his own without any regret. A popping sound could be heard on her right. She took her attention off of the man for a second, seeing that everyone else had arrived, the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, and they were throwing energy, chairs, even their own bodies at the barrier, trying to get to her. Even with Esmeralda gone, the barrier held. The man before must have been keeping it up. The fight was not over yet.

The gold ribbons wrapped and wound around her.

She turned her attention back to the man, glowering at him, "Who are you?"

"Why don't you remember me?" He said in a mocking tone, obviously knowing more than she did on the matter.

"No. But how could I know, you won't let me see your cowardly face!"

He didn't seem bothered by her goating at the least, "Oh Princess. Still as naive as ever," in a flash, he was practically on top of her, "and still as beautiful."

His hand reached out, stroking her face, she moved to knock it and him away but then he was gone.

Everything crashed around her as the force field broke away. She hadn't noticed how quiet it had been inside the bubble. Everyone raced towards her, but it was right then that Octo-man made his reappearance. He had been completely forgotten and now he stood between her and everyone else.

Its face was full of rage, "YOU! It's your fault my mistress is dead!"

He readied another water bubble and she readied her tiara. As he released the bubble at breakneck speed, she did the same with her tiara. Just as the tiara hit him, the bubble swept over her, tossing and tumbling in an endless pool of water. She righted herself to see Octo-man turn to dust.

But the bubble remained. Her tiara flew through the air, returning to her. Panic set in as it struck the bubble, making a dent, then falling to the ground. Esmeralda's power up must have done more than she realized, making Octo-man's power stronger even in death.

The Senshi surrounded the bubble, saying something to her but she couldn't hear a word. Then they stepped back. Their powers cracked and popped against the side of the bubble, not making a dent. Her oxygen was running out. Everything began to get fuzzy.

A rose struck the bubble, over and over again. Mamoru's face appeared next to the bubble. She put a hand out on the glass, looking into his frantic face. She tried to tell him it was alright but he didn't want to listen to that.

He pointed to the spot where her tiara had struck. Then he hit it with some more roses, causing the dent to turn into a crack. Then he took several steps back and aimed his cane at the spot. She heard the cane hit and a cracking sound spread around her as everything went black.

Her lips burned even as she made it back to her room. Endymon has kissed her again. But this time it had been much more than a quick kiss. She didn't know it could be any better than that but this one had been slow and passionate.

Looking in the mirror, she thought for sure it had left a mark this time. Her lips were red and swollen but other than that they looked normal.

A knock at the door and her handmaidens were there to get her ready for bed, but how was she supposed to sleep now? Laying awake for hours restlessly, sleep finally found her in the early hours of morning.

It was almost noon when her handmaidens got her to wake and get dressed. She found that she could hardly wait! They pulled a white gown with baby blue stripes going down from top to bottom all the way around. It had a high waist and baby doll neckline and sleeves. Her handmaidens then put a small gold chain around her neck that had a small gold moon charm on it.

They were just finishing up her hair when her mother entered. The girls dropped her hair to bow, meaning they would have to start all over again!

"Could you ladies give us a minute?"

"Oh course your Majesty."

They swept out of the room, still in a bow. Her mother looked at her and a chill ran up her spine, a feeling only her mother could give her. Maybe her mother was mad about her actions last night? Dancing so long with Endymon and then disappearing for the rest of the night. She watched her mother, as she came closer to her, in the mirror before her. She soon began putting up her hair for her, something she only did a few times in her life. She revelled in the feeling of her mother's hands on her hair.

"So I have some news and...I'm not sure if you will like it or not. I ask that you let me finish before you say anything though."

"Alright mother."

"Queen Esperalda came to me this morning to express her son's interest in you. He wants to be considered by you."

Endymon had asked to be a suitor, to be considered as her husband. Blush washed over her face but her mother continued.

"This would be a powerful match on both sides. It is certainly worth considering. But Serenity, I don't want you to feel pressured. Nothing has changed. It is still your choice. Many will probably try to force your hand with Earth in the race for your heart my dear. Especially the Earthens. I am well aware of the conditions there and I know they need us. I am more than willing to open the trade back up to them but I don't know if that will be enough," finishing her hair, the Queen spun her around to face her fully while she explained the issue she would now face, "Serenity, if this where to come about, both Kingdoms would become very powerful, but the benefits go more to Earth than to the Moon."

She understood now. The Earth stood to gain the Moon itself. That was why Endymon had entered his name for consideration. Why he was messing with her mind. He already mentioned his interest in the trade regulations, how he had seen the suffering of his people. It was all a political move to take over her Kingdom and create a strong Earth Kingdom.

It was a smart move, and she almost fell for it.

"It is and always will be yours. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to bring you any better choices for you little rabbit."

Her mother left, her words still hang in the air. The choice was hers, but what kind of choice was it? Even if she wanted to pick someone else, the whole Kingdom would want her to pick Earth. She had just lost any possibility of a choice or a happy ending.

The happy energy she had when she woke that morning was gone and replaced with anger that she could barely control.

She ran into the girls first but they jumped out of her way, falling in line behind her as they made their way to brunch.

The tables where the same as last night but the center pieces and table cloths had been changed from blue poppies and dark blue silk to white with lilies in the middle.

Her chair was pulled out for her and she sat without a word, even as Minako sat next to her with a questioning look. A few of the characters had changed; Dignitaries from Helene, a small moon for Saturn, Edgar and Miranda and their small daughter, Aya; Secretary of State and her mother's right hand, Luna who sat in her human form; and Artemis, another of the Queen's advisors and Luna's partner. The rest was the same.

Endymon and his family were already seated next to the Queen who was also already seated. She was late but she hardly cared, she had still yet to reign in her anger.

Aya, the little girl, was a big fan of hers, probably why her mother sat them with them. She waved big at her from across the table, earning a scolding from her mother.

She reigned in her anger for a moment, "Good morning Aya. How are you today?"

"Good morning Princess! I am doing great now that you are here!"

The girl looked as if she might wet herself with excitement. The table laughed at her antics, but all she could muster was a smile.

She couldn't look across the table for fear she would explode at the sight of him. Plates where set before them, hot buttery breads and sweet fruity pastries. A few heavier items like eggs and bacon where also set on the table, for those who had drank a little too much the night before. She noticed King Edward go for those items. She settled on a croissant, which she picked at having no appetite at the moment. Minako acted as if she were a bomb about to go off, keeping as much distance as she could from her while remaining in her seat.

"Did everyone enjoy the ball last night? I know I did."

It was Luna. She clearly picked up on the mood as well and was trying to do anything she could to de-escalate the mood. Luna meant well, but she really picked the wrong subject. Her reminder of the ball just brought up the all the lies Endymon had spoken to her last night.

Miranda was the one to answer her, "Oh yes it was so beautiful. So many beautiful costumes and gowns. And the decorations! Oh they were divine."

"We have the Earthans to thank, they picked last nights' theme." The Queen added.

Little Aya pouted, "I wish I could have been there. I wanted to dance. Was there a lot of dancing?"

Minako answered her, "Oh yes, tons!"

"Especially for the Princess Serenity." Miranda cooed. As if it were some impressive feat. Their little offering to the slaughter of political gain. Miranda continued, "With all her suitors it was amazing that Prince Endymon even got a turn."

She felt the shift around the table as attention turned to Endymon. She still refused to take her eyes off her bread.

Aya almost leaped onto the table, "You danced with the Princess?"

"Twice." She could hear the smile of his face, gloating at his accomplishments.

"Oh, Princess Serenity, what is like to dance all night with good looking men?"

All eyes were on her waiting for her response, "When it happens, I'll let you know."

Minako stepped on her foot hard, her mother scolded her, Luna remained silent, but everyone else, including King Edward laughed.

She was surprised to see such an action from the King who then turned gave a nodge to Endymon, gloading on his son's ability to charm her. Endymon seemed more interested in his father's reaction than anything else. It would seem that the King doesn't laugh much at home either.

He turned his eyes to her but she quickly turned her attention to anything but him.

"Perhaps the Princess Serenity will be kind enough to give me another chance? Then I could try and change her mind."

His tone was jovial, but it still made her want to slap him, "That would be, a truly amazing feat."

Artemis laughed uncomfortably, "Princess Serenity..what a joker."

She had to get out of there. And her escape route was right before her.

She stood, startling the guest, "Please excuse me everyone, I'm not that hungry. Besides, I need to show Aya the gardens."

The little girl didn't even wait for her mother's approval before jumping out of her seat and onto her as she made her way as quickly as she could towards the door without causing a stir. No one questioned the Princess walking away with the small girl, they knew she tended to take the little ones away to play. Soon she had a small crowd behind her as the rest of the Royal's children followed them out.

Laughter and shouting could be heard across the entire garden. She had taken them to one of the smaller public gardens. The one that had the largest fountain. Always one to encourage mischief, she and the little ones splashed and played in the base of the fountain.

The fountain was quite large, the water came up mid shin. Still, it wasn't deep enough that she felt the need to worry about one of the children drowning, as long as she kept an eye on them. No one was soaking wet yet, but water still dripped from their hair onto their faces.

She sat down on the edge, tired, watching them continue to play.

Aya came and sat next to her, "Princess Serenity?"

"Yes little one?"

"What's it like? Having so many men fighting for your hand?"

"Hmm, well it's not what I thought it would be like."

Another little girl, Sonia, joined them, "Which one are you going to pick?"

Before she could answer, Eric, the oldest of the boys, answered for her, "She is going to pick Earth of course."

Sonia yelled back at him, "How do you know?" Putting her little hands on hips as if she were defending her honor.

"Because, it is the smartest choice. My father says we need to rejoin with Earth to avoid war."

"Well my dad says…"

The whole thing then turned into a 'my dad is better than yours' match, to which she was the only real victim.

Aya pulled on her sleeve, gaining her attention once more, "I hope that when I grow up, I have has many suitors as you do."

"Oh Aya, don't wish for that."

"Why not?"

"Because the illusion of choice is worse than no choice at all." Everyone stopped and turned to the unmistakable voice of Prince Endymon.

The kids quickly jumped out of the fountain and surrounded him, all asking questions about Earth, about his intentions towards her, about Earth's intentions towards the Moon Kingdom. But their questions were all swallowed up by one another in a wash of words and confusion.

Endymon just laughed, "Sorry sorry everyone, but your parents are looking for you and I need to speak with the Princess."

They all rushed off, to more mischief for sure, and she wished she could go with them. She still hadn't turned to face the Prince, her anger quickly returning. Her feet sat under the cool water of the fountain and she busied herself with counting the bubbles that floated by.

She heard him sigh, frustrated behind her, "Serenity, have I done something to offend you?"

She remained silent, trying to decide what to say to him exactly. Based on his reaction, she opted to say nothing at all. She turned, taking her feet out of water, grabbed her shoes, and began walking back to the Palace barefoot. Avoiding sharp rocks on the path would help to distract her from the pain and anger in her heart.

"Serenity, please speak to me."

She thought she could make it away from him before she exploded. She was wrong.

She turned on one heel and threw a shoe at him which he easily dodged. She threw the second which this time he caught it instead.

"You think you are so clever don't you? Well I'm on to you. I know exactly what you are doing!"

"And what is that exactly?!" His anger showing its ugly head as well.

"You think you can trick me into marrying you so you can have the greatest power in the universe," he was thrown by her words, clearly not expecting to be caught, "all that talk about me deserving better and not wasting my time on those undeserving suitors. And making me feel like you….."

She had to stop. Not just because she couldn't get more to come out, but because her tears were flooding down her face.

She took a deep breath, "I thought you were different. That we were different together. But you are just like the rest of them. You just want me for my power."

With that, she left. He grew farther and farther in the distance and she wished that her feelings for him were so easily left behind.

It hit her hard, a pulling splitting feeling. She was being ripped from the memory. It had happened once before and it was not pleasant. Her brain felt as though it might split in two. She wanted to fight it, to stay in the dream, but the pain was too much. She had to let go.

Her eyes opened to dark blue. His face was on hers, his lips barely touching hers. He had brought her back to reality. She wanted his lips to stay on hers but there was a more pressing issue, the water in her lungs looking to be released. She pushed him away, rolling onto her side, retching the water out painfully.

She was wet and cold. Back in her uniform having de-transformed when she passed out. She was in Mamoru's arms but also on the ground. It had been so long since they had been this close, and she wanted it to last.

But something inside her knew it couldn't. That's right, they weren't together anymore. He no longer wanted her. The memory of pain returning, twisting her heart painfully. It caused her to shiver uncontrollably. She looked up to more eyes full of concern and fear. Four pairs of arms grabbed her up, crying on her.

Guess she didn't look so good. Her white shirt stuck to her like a second skin and her black skirt was heavy with water. The girls released her, still in their fuku, and she pulled off her shoes and socks to wring them out. The silence was palpable while she did this, the water hitting the pavement rang out as the only sound. She remained seated on the pavement while everyone else moved around in front of her as if to block her path back to her car.

"What happen Usagi-chan?"

She looked up at Ami, "Bad guys showed up, we fought, I won."

Mamoru huffed, "You call that winning?" Anger rolled off him, clearly someone was mad at her performance again.

She met his stare straight on, "The bad guy is dusted and no one is hurt. Yeah, I call that winning."

"And you almost died….again!"

She stood, hoping to feel taller, stronger, but as soon as she got to her feet everything started to spin. She grabbed her head and Mamoru grabbed her. Someone slid a chair over to her and Mamoru sat her down in it, she didn't fight it.

Rei knelt at her feet, "Come on Usagi-chan, tell us everything."

It was rare for Rei to be so gentle. She couldn't refuse her request, even if she was exhausted.

"It was just Octo-man at first. He was so weak, he would have been easy. But then Esmeralda showed up. She gave the Octo-man a power up, that's why the bubble didn't disappear I think," she looked over at Mamoru who was still scouring, "I thought it would pop as soon as he was dusted. I never would have...if I had known.." his face softened instantly till she couldn't bare to hold his gaze any longer, "She wanted to kill me, to kill all of you, but she wasn't strong enough. She put up the barrier and tag teamed with Octo-man. But I tricked her into fighting me alone. I had her. I had her in my grasp, but I was going to spare her," Esmeralda's death was still fresh on her emotions, "but then he showed up. She called him her Prince, begged him for forgiveness, but he killed her anyways!"

Minako put a hand on her shoulder, "Why was she apologizing?"

"She disobeyed orders. Their 'Prince' wants me alive."

"Why?" This time it was Mamoru who asked.

"I don't know, but he asked me if I remembered him."

"And did you?" Makoto asked.

"I couldn't see his face, he kept it hidden. But I don't think so."

She let all that settle in for a minute, "I think they are after Chibi-usa too. They keep calling her Little Rabbit."

"I noticed that as well," added Ami, "Perhaps it is best if she stays with you from now on Mamoru. That way the two of them are not as easy of a target."

Mamoru gave a nod in agreement.

"There's more," they all turned to her again but she hesitated on whether or not she should tell them. But the enemy was coming for her regardless, they would all be on high alert anyways.

"They know I'm the Princess."

Just as she expected, they flipped out. Mamoru put his fist through the glass of one tables, scaring all of them into calming a bit. He was mad enough for all of them. He turned and walked off, separating himself from them.

"How do they know? How could they know?" Luna was far from calm.

"I don't know. But I think it has something to do with Beryl….something Esmeralda said."

She was tired. It was hard for her to even keep her eyes open, the adrenaline having worn off. She tried to stand again finding it a little better. The condition of her shirt left it completely see through. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide whatever. Warm cloth draped over her, covering her shoulder to still naked toes. Mamoru had wrapped his cloak around her without a word.

Forgetting her socks, she returned her wet squishy shoes to her feet. Her hair was heavy with water, so she wringed it out too. Each time she wringed something out, the girls, even Mamoru, got a guilty look on their faces. They must have felt bad that they weren't there for her.

"Guys, I'm okay. Really. It wasn't your faults. I was impulsive and there was a barrier."

Her words meant nothing to them, but she was too tired to fight them on it.

Makoto and Mamoru walked her to her car, de-transforming first. This meant walking back in her now see through top. Her shoes squished loudly as the only sound on the empty streets. Mamoru walked behind them like a body guard while Makoto wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her back even though she didn't know the way. Ami went with Luna to control to search for anything on the Dark Moon Kingdom. Rei and Minako went to check around Usagi's house, looking for any signs of the enemy. Everyone was on high alert over her….again.

They were silent for a long time, till Makoto started making small talk.

"Are you ready to return to school tomorrow?"

She shrugged, "I guess so."

"Usagi-chan, no one expects you to be okay," she glanced quickly behind her, checking if Mamoru was listening, "given the circumstances. But we love you and we are here for you."

"Thanks Makoto-chan."

"...So...is this where you work? I can't believe you never told us where it was!"

"That was strategic and for my own good. You guys would just come in, give me a hard time, and expect free food."

"Of course! So when is your next shift?"

Oh she was good. Makoto was sneaky, getting her work schedule. Now one of them would surely be there every shift and it wouldn't be just to keep her company. She was going to be under protective detail from now on.

"Wednesday. I work Wednesday after school till close."

"Perfect! The girls and I can come by and help you catch up on your school work!"

"I'm all caught up on my school Makoto. Remember? You guys brought it by everyday."

"And you did it? Wow, I'm impressed Usagi-chan. I would have just ate ice cream and watched movies the whole time."

"Hmmm, maybe next time."

"Let's hope there isn't a next time."

Makoto watched her as she shrugged. She was sure there wouldn't be a next time, because she was never going to stop feeling this way.

She made it home without incident. It was well after Midnight by then and the house was still and silent. Chibi-usa was out cold in her bed. After a quick shower and changing into her sleep shirt, she was ready to sleep till the end of time. She made quick work of her wet hair, braiding it and twisting it on top of her head. Finally she laid down and as she drifted off to sleep, she sent up a small prayer to the Goddess of the Moon to let her dream continue. The familiar pull came to her brain and she smiled as she lost consciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry this is later than my usual. It's also a bit short so to make up for that, I will post two chapters today. Maybe more. Thank you to all of you have reviewed, I really appreciate it! I think what tickles me the most is when I see authors reviews that I recognize. I realized recently that those whom I have read, reviewed, and loved have come and reviewed my work as well. It reminds me that this is a community and that we are supportive of one another. So thank you all again!

Also, I do like to respond to reviews if they aren't asking for spoilers or something or you aren't signed in as a guest. That said, a lot of you have expressed how you like the flashbacks, even though you usually don't in fics. To be honest, neither do I but I found myself liking them at times more than the story line. I felt a bit like Usagi, escaping to another world. I only included the flashbacks because, otherwise, there wouldn't be much romance as Usa and Mamo are broken. I guess that's why I like to 'escape' to them as well.

Anyways, enjoy!

 **Chapter Nine**

" _Even when a river of tears courses through this body, the flame of love cannot be quenched."_

― _**Izumi Shikibu**_

She had managed to hide away all her tears before she got back inside the Palace, running into Minako in the process.

"What was all that Serenity?" She was speaking of her behavior at breakfast.

"It was..nothing. I didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

Her cousin knew she was lying, she could read her like a book, "Is this because Prince of Earth asked to be considered?" She opened her mouth, surprised Minako even knew about it, "Don't look so surprised, your mother tells my mother everything."

Of course she did.

"But I don't understand, I thought you would be happy about this? He is gorgeous and he has a legitimate title. He doesn't need you to make him a King. He isn't after power like the rest."

"Everyone is after power Minako."

"Hmmm but I don't think he is. The way he looks at you?" She stopped and did a dramatic shiver, "And the way he danced with you last night…"

"He only did that to upset the other suitors…"  
"Making a claim with them that you are his and to back off!"

"It's not like that Minako...its a point of pride with him. A game and I'm just a pawn."

"I don't doubt that you know when you are being used Serenity, but you don't know love like I do."

She could hear someone approach from the direction she just came, "I'm sorry cousin, but please cover for me."  
"What?"

"Just PLEASE!"

She didn't wait for a response, she just hid in the first place she saw. She could hear voices, Minako's and Endymon's. She could hear Minako saying something about not seeing her, then asking what was wrong before Endymon stomped away.

Minako's face found it's way into her little hiding hole. Holding out her shoes to her, "Oh cousin...you have a lot of explaining to do."

She told them everything. Alone in the private garden, away from any other ears. From going to Earth, getting attacked, hiding from the Queen, the first kiss, finding out who he was, to last night on the terrace. Makoto and Minako just swooned. But Rei and Ami, always the more sensible, were not pleased.

"I can't believe you went to Earth Princess, that was so reckless of you!" Whenever Ami was angry with her, she called her 'Princess'. The last time was when she hid her books trying to force her to come out and play. They were 8.

"What if you had been found? What if that man had deflowered you? What if they held you for ransom?!" And when Rei was mad, she had a tendency to skip around on her points. It happened often.

Minako stood up in her defense, "You guys, you are missing the big issue here. She made it home safe and sound, but now we have a bigger problem."

"Endymon has asked claim on my hand."

Makoto jumped up in joy, "AWW that is so romantic! How is that a problem?"

"Well Serenity here thinks Endymon's intentions are not pure." Minako blabbed.

Ami, Makoto, and Rei turned their eyes on her and they spoke at once, "What?!", "Have you not noticed how he looks at you?", "That dance last night was pretty un-pure."

She stood, walking away from them and began to pace, "He doesn't make any sense. All he does is goad me on. And he is always so presumptuous about it too. Like he knows what I'm thinking or something."

She stopped and looked at them and they gave her a knowing look, "You think I overreacted?"

"YES," they all said in unison.

"But what about the Earth? All of its struggling? What about the power the Earth would gain if we were to marry?"

She had subconsciously began pacing again till Ami laid a hand on her shoulder, stopping her turning, "We are not saying that none of that is true. We are saying that he does not care. That is not why he asked. He is in love with you Serenity. We can all see it, why can't you?"

He loved her? If that was true….

The creak of the garden gate broke her from her thoughts. Her Mother entered the garden and the girls fell to their knees without thought.

"Please ladies, you do not have to bow to me, not here. Now if you would please. I need a moment alone with my daughter."

"Yes, your Majesty."

The Queen was silent until she was sure the girls had left and were out of earshot, "I'm afraid my dear, I must once again tell you something and I'm not sure whether it will good or bad news to you."

"What is it mother?"

"Prince Endymon has rescinded his request for your hand."

"What?"

"Yes. He came and asked me himself not less than an hour ago."

"Where? Where did you see him last mother?"

"Why, in the Southeast end of the Palace, in the butterfly garden. I was showing some of our guest…"

"Please excuse me mother," she gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "Thank you."

She ran. It was very unlady like. Many of the guest gave her funny looks but she didn't care. She had to catch Endymon before it was too late and he was gone. She paused and removed her shoes, holding them in her hands as she ran faster and faster.

She made it to the garden in record time and slowed to a walk to catch her breath. She searched the whole garden looking for Endymon, but he was gone. Her heart felt like it might rip out of chest. She checked the last part of the garden, the back end. There wasn't much there save for a bench and few hedges. It was private and on certain days, it was the perfect spot for viewing the Earth.

Her breath caught in her chest as she rounded the corner to spy black hair sitting behind a hedge. He was busy looking into the sky, lost in his thoughts.

"If you are looking for the Earth, tomorrow is a better day for it."

He turned, startled by her sudden presence, but quickly recovered, "Thank you, your highness. I will keep that in mind."

He took his eyes off of her and back to the sky before him, so she moved a little closer while he wasn't looking, "Why did you take back your consideration?"

He sighed, but did not look at her, "It was a mistake, I never should have in the first place."

His words put a crack in her armor that she had created to be brave and face him, but she pressed on regardless, "You don't want to be a suitor?"

Now he looked at her, "No, I wanted to be your husband. I didn't want to be another one of those pricks chasing your skirt hoping to force your hand and tame the wild beauty that you are."

"I'm a wild beauty?"

He stood, standing before her, "You sneak down to Earth and then even in the face of danger, you worry more about the lesser people than yourself," his voice was full of anger, "You speak your mind even in front of important dignitaries, and you constantly keep everyone on their toes worried of what you will do next. Your people love you that they would gladly die for you, they are bewitched by you."  
"I would never ask them to…" she whispered.

"And you are maddeningly naive."

He grew silent. She looked up at his beautiful face, "Is that all?"

"I didn't ask for your hand to make this life more difficult for you Serenity."

His face grew sad. She had never seen him without his brash smile before, and she didn't like it. She reached up, stroking his cheek with her hand. He leaned in heavily on her hand, taking her hand in his and pulling it away from his face, but not letting it go either.

Her heart raced, still unsure of herself, "Even before I understood the meaning of it all, I've had men asking for my hand."

He squeezed her hand that he still held, "This hand? But you just gave it to me without me asking."

He was teasing her again. She pulled her hand away from his grasp and turned away from his stare, "You drive me mad! You are constantly teasing and pushing me. You are always so cocky, so confident, as if you know everything. You know nothing your Highness. And the things you say to me...I am not naive! I know how the universe works! I will pick a husband and we will rule together."

"Oh but choose wisely little rabbit," he moved so that he stood right behind her, "Because if you choose Zedd, you will keep all your power, forever in the company of your little pet. Or, you can choose Phoebe or Phobus who will keep you up all night chasing you around your bedchamber, waiting till your guard is down and make you bare an aire. The old man might be a good choice, you would surely out live him. Goddess forgive if you were to pick any of the others, they would chain you down till all the light was gone from you and then tote you around like a trophy while they sat on your throne and made everyone else's life miserable."

She turned on her naked heel, coming after him and his words, "You don't think I know that? You think I've been letting them chase my heels for fun?" Tears burned in her eyes.

"Then what are you going to do about it Serenity?"

"I don't know!"

His hand reached up, wiping a tear that had fallen down her cheek.

She pulled away, confused and angry, "Your actions do not match your words sir."

"And that drives you mad doesn't it?"

She huffed, wiping away another tear, "Not like you may want. You may get the other girls to swoon with your antitics, but not me."

"Is that why you doubt me? There are no other girls, no one like you."

Her mouth dropped open and she threw her hands up in frustration, "Why do you say things like that?"

He grabbed her hand pulling her in, "Because it is true."

"I don't believe it. You would say anything to get…"  
"To get what? Your kingdom? I don't want it, I want you!"

"Even though I'm impulsive and loud and...wild?"

"Yes. Your heart is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"My heart."

"Your heart is in love with me, no matter how much you try and deny it."

"Why are you so...arrogant?!"

He pulled her tight to his chest, "Tell me I'm wrong," he gently gripped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "Tell me you don't love me and I will leave you alone forever."

She looked into his eyes deeply. More than anything she wanted to tell him he was wrong, just to say it. But the thought of him leaving her alone forever felt as if a hand made of ice was squeezing her heart. It was true, her heart seemed to love him, but her head told her it was dangerous. Too many times she had been fooled into thinking someone cared for her in honest when all they wanted was her favor.

He was watching her as her mind worked, his smile growing as her silence gave him the answer he hoped for.

He leaned in closer still, till his face was inches from hers and stopped, "What does your beautiful, impulsive heart say, little rabbit?"

She listened to her heart, letting it take over. And it pushed her mouth onto his, his warmth washing over her in an instant. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her as deeply as possible. His hands wrapped around her waist, grabbing on tightly to the cloth of her dress. It was as if her heart had been set free, caught in a cage she didn't realize she was keeping it in. Emotions overflowed, causing her to cry again, but no longer in fear or sadness or anger.

He pulled away, kissing her tears off of her face and tickling her nose with his lips. A soft giggle escaped her mouth and he caught it in his as he took her lip in his again. He lifted her up off the ground and set them both on the small bench, pulling her into his lap.

They pulled their lips apart, their breath ragged, but they still laughed and smiled at each other. His arms still wrapped around her but now they had loosened so he could look at her face. She held onto his neck, her shoes still dangling in her hand, now noticed by him.

"Did you run here?"

She blushed, "Yes."

He laughed, "Wild little rabbit."

"I didn't want to miss you."

"And what a tragedy that would have been."

He grabbed her lips again, unable to be apart any longer. Her fingers twisted in his hair while his stayed planted on her back, pushing her into him. He left her lips, laying little sweet kisses down her neck and shoulders making her laugh happily.

"I love you Serenity. More than anything or anyone."

"I love you too."

"Marry me."

"I can't marry you. You haven't asked my mother for my hand. You are not a suitor anymore."

He picked her up off his lap and placed her back on the ground, "Well we'd better get going then."

Stunned and confused, she struggled to find her balance at first, "What? Why? Dinner isn't for another hour."

He took a quick step back to her, "You really want to spend the hour alone with me?"

His grin was cheeky so she slapped playfully on the chest, he made his way back, meaning to leave the garden right that instant, "I need to find your mother before dinner."

She knew why, but she wanted to hear him say it anyways, "Why?"

"To ask her for your hand….again."

She woke up unwillingly again. The clock laughed at her, 1:34 am, and she had to physically stop herself from hurling it across the wall. Reality of her surrounding set in too quickly and she felt the loss of her former life hard. And the loss of her former and current love even harder. She couldn't breathe, she was drowning again but this time it was her misery choking the life out of her.

She ran as quickly and as quietly as she could, throwing the window open and thrusting her head out into the cool night air. She leaned over the seal, taking deep steadying breaths.

"Bad dream."

His voice cut through the silence so sharply, she almost fell out of the window. He sat in the tree just outside her window, casually as if it was normal. His eyes gave away his concern though.

She sat down in the window seat, "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Did you draw the short straw for tonight or something?"

"Or something."

She looked down and around at the garden and then up at the moon, anywhere that he wasn't. She could feel his eyes on her and she could not handle his crushing blues right now. Or at any time for that matter.

Chib-usa snored behind her and she envied the girl for her naive bliss.

"Goddess forbid you get attacked at night, your pjs would give the enemy such an advantage over you."

She looked down to see her shirt had slid up, revealing her thighs, she quickly pulled it back down, but the damage had been done, "What would you have me sleep in? A suit of armor?"

He grunted in response and grew silent again. This was the first time they had been alone in what felt like forever, but was actually a week. Part of her wanted him to jump in her window and hold her, promising they would never be apart again. But the other part.

"You and the Senshi know that I can take care of myself right?"

Again, he grunted, which was really starting to tick her off, "Look, THIS Princess is stronger than the one from the past. And THIS Princess would like for all of you to back off."

He shifted in the tree, turning cool blue eyes on her, "THIS Princess almost died in the last two battles we had…"

"I didn't almost die at the shoe store…"  
He ignored her interruption, continuing, "THIS Princess, can't seem to keep herself out of the enemies' crosshairs!..."

"I can't help it if they have it out for me…"

"USAGI...we watched you die tonight! We sat around you, helpless as you drowned inside your bubble!"

"Like you would have known that the bubble wouldn't have popped. You need to stop treating me like a child…."  
"Then stop acting like one!"

Her mouth opened at his cruel words. His words weren't even the cruelest thing someone had said to her, but coming from him it was a hundred times worse. She stared at her hands, hoping to control the onslaught of tears threatening to fall.

"It's late….you should get some sleep."

She didn't fight him on it, she silently stood and shut the window, walking back to her bed all while refusing to look at him. He had been right. They weren't Serenity and Endymon. Endymon loved Serenity, her, the way she was. He loved her wild heart.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

" _I wept because I could not believe anymore and I love to believe. I can still love passionately without believing. That means I love humanly. I wept because from now on I will weep less. I wept because I have lost my pain and I am not yet accustomed to its absence."_

― _**Anaïs Nin**_

The next three weeks were nothing but the same. School, then either work, which one of the girls hung out in the restaurant till close each time, or training, and then one of the girls would come and spend the night. Mamoru did not do night detail again after their late night...conversation the last time.

She never had a moment alone, which she didn't mind too much, seeing as when she was alone was when she felt the worst. But it also meant she haven't gotten any of her dreams since! She wasn't sure what was worse, being alone and feeling the ache in her heart or the ache she had being separated from her dream world for so long.

The enemy had not made a move either. As if they had showed their hand too soon and now how to come up with a plan B. Maybe the careful watch she was under helped. It seemed to her that the security detail she was under was only a hindrance to everyone involved but try getting anyone to listen to her was like trying to get the stars to listen.

She was clearing her last table for the night. Ami sat by the door, reading a textbook or two. The bell for the door rang and she turned to see none other than her generous tipper. She was standing behind the counter, whipping it down. The counter sat in the middle of the restaurant floor, beautiful mahogany wrapping around in a small semi-circle. A small opening at the side was the only way in or out unless you went through the kitchen. She stood on the inside of it, protected by the wide girth of its beauty.

He took a look around, pausing shortly on Ami, then walked up to the bar, to her, and sat down.

"Hello again. What can I get you?"

"Hello Usagi. Coffee black...to go please."

She left, catching the tentative eye of Ami as she went, and got him a cup of coffee to go. She also went and retrieved the Fifty he left her the last time he was there. She had refused to spend it out of common decency.

She returned with his coffee and planted the bill in front of him under the cup. He looked at her confused but then smiled.

"I thought I was supposed to pay you? Not the other way around."

"Look...even if you have money to spare...I'm not the one who needs it the most. Save your money and give it to real charity." She crossed her arms, hoping she came off confident.

"I'm sorry. I thought you deserved it, putting up with me well past closing. I had thought you would split it with your other co-workers."

"Oh," she hadn't thought of that, "Well what about the time before? You left a twenty for a 50 cent coffee."

"I see I'm making a lasting impression on you, good to know."

She didn't flinch, even under his scrutinizing stare, "I didn't have anything smaller and I was late for a very important meeting."

She began to waiver in her resolve. She had planned to tell the guy off and be done with him, but he was making some good points.

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you, so I apologize. But I really just like this place's coffee."

She felt guilty, having come at him the way she did, "If you like the coffee, you should try some of the food. It's really good too."

He glanced over his shoulder at Ami again then back at her, "Maybe next time."

He left without another word, leaving the fifty again. She took it, using her cash, and broke it up evenly to share with the cook, who was very happy to see it.

Ami lugged her textbooks as she walked with her to her car.

Struggling, Usagi took a few off her hands, lighten her load, "You do know there is only one week left of school?"

"I know! So little time and so much to do!"

She laughed, "Ami, you are planning on taking a break right?"

"We don't need to be taking any breaks till we get the enemy figured out."

Ami sure did know how to take the wind out the sails, "You mean no vacations? No beach?! No fun at all?!"

"Oh Usagi-chan. I'm sure we will find time for all of that. We just need to be careful."

"So who is on night duty tonight?"

"Umm..I think it's Minako tonight."

"Can't you guys just take a break?"

"Getting tired of us Usagi-chan?"

"I'm just tired of seeing you guys so tired! How are you guys going to protect me if you don't have the energy for it?"

Ami was silent for a moment, and she thought she had actually won for once. With the two of them loaded safely in the car, she took off towards home.

As Ami got out of the car, having turned her over to Minako's watch, she looked at her with deep sincerity, "We will protect you Usagi-chan. You are too precious to all of us to lose again," then she turned back to regular Ami, "see you tomorrow!"

She let her head hit the steering wheel, "Ug, training again? On a Saturday?"

Ami just laughed as she made her way home.

Waking up at 1:34 was really starting to piss her off. Minako snored over in the small bed, oblivious. It was like her mind was trying to tell her something, but what. She use to wake up at this time when her dreams were under attack. She learned it was part of the torcher, her parents having died at this time. But it had been months since they defeated that monster and the entire Negaverse.

The Negaverse. What was it that Esmeralda said to her? ' _They messed up. The Negaverse made you stronger. That was not the deal'_ , were the Negaverse and the Dark moon somehow connected? And how would Esmeralda know how strong she was or wasn't supposed to be? Zoicite had said that they killed her parents because of who she was as a Princess, and the man from the other night, the 'Prince', asked if she remembered him. Could the Dark Moon be a part of her past as well?

She wished her memories would return and tell her the rest of the story, but as she laid down again for the night, her mind stayed silent.

The Senshi still had not unlocked their new powers and it had been almost a month.

"Dang it Usagi, did you have to put them on lock down?" Makoto fussed.

"That was not up to me, that is the belly of the beast."

Ami chuckled, "You mean the nature of the beast."

"Either way, we HAVE to figure out how to access our powers!" Rei yelled out in frustration.

Minako looked to her, "How do you do Usagi-chan? How did you gain access?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Well, imminent death of everyone I love tends to do it."

Rei yelled to no one, venting her frustration.

"Okay okay, let's try something. First, you need to calm down."

Each of her Senshi listen to her and calmed their breathing and their minds.

"Now close your eyes," they complied, "Find the power I put inside you. Once you have it, give it a color. Give it a shape. Imagine it spreading through your body."

She watched as each of the Senshi started to glow, each showing the color they picked, and she was not surprised by their choices; Makoto, green; Minako, yellow; Rei, red; and Ami, blue.

The glow started in their bellies, slowly stretching till it covered their whole bodies. Then it disappeared. They opened their eyes, each more sure of themselves.

"Now, let's train!" She shouted.

With their powers realized, they gave her quite a run for her money. She was sore all over but it felt good to no longer worry about her Senshi. Now they would stand a chance without her. Not that ever planned on letting them fight without her, but you never know.

The girls chatted happily away about their new strength as they walked down the steps of the temple, leaving their training grounds in their dust. The sun was just setting, leaving the sky a beautiful mixture of pinks and oranges.

She wasn't listened to anything the girls were saying until Minako wrapped an arm around her neck, "Don't you think so Usagi-chan?"

"Huh?"

Makoto laughed, "Usagi-chan, have you listened to anything we've been saying?"

"Sorry."

"Minako was just saying we should take a vacation together, once school is out for summer." Rei filled her in.

She wasn't sure if she was up it, but then Ami added, "You were just talking about how you wanted to go to the beach. Last night remember? How about we go next weekend?"

If Ami was up for it, then she really couldn't say no, "Okay, yeah that sounds nice."

A nice relaxing weekend at the beach. No enemy, no school, no training, and hopefully, no thoughts of Mamoru.

The cafe was dead, and she was so bored. She almost wished she hadn't talked Makoto into taking a break on her detail that night. I mean, even if they did attack the cafe, she would be able to hold them off till they got there. She was pretty sure Makoto was somewhere close by, like, next door at the flower shop.

Finally the doorbell rang, but she wasn't happy for long. It was the generous tipper again. He came and cooly took a seat near the counter where she stood.

She didn't even ask this time, she just brought him a cup of coffee and was about to leave when he called out to her, "Any suggestions?"

"Excuse me?"  
"Well last time I was here, you recommended I try the food. So what do you suggest I try?"

She thought for a minute, thinking about who was in the kitchen tonight and what they were the best at making, "Are you in the mood for anything?"

"Hmmm...something...sweet."

The way he said it made her stomach turn, as if her body was reacting to something he didn't say, "Okay, I'll bring you something."

She said anything to get away from him. She had the sudden need to be as far away from him as possible. Giving the order to the cook, she took a minute to settle herself. The guy was nice enough, generous, and very good looking but there was something about him that her insides scream at her about.

With his order ready, she steadied herself and made her way back out to his table. She placed the sweet rice with green tea infused sauce and strawberries before him and got back to the kitchen. She watched him from the back, his back to her, as he ate the dish without any signs of complaint. She didn't come back out till she was sure he was done.

When she made it to his table he was standing to leave, getting his money out, his imminent departer made her settle a little more.

"Thank you, that was good."

"I'm glad you liked it…."

"Gabriel. My name is Gabriel. So maybe you could suggest something else?"

"Sure, would you like it to go?"

"No, I meant, someplace else..for me to take you?"

He was asking her out on a date? "Oh..I'm sorry..but I.."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you have a boyfriend don't you?"

Her heart stung a bit, "Oh no it's not that…"  
"Gorgeous girl like you, surprising your not already taken."

She blushed at his words, the unease rising again in her stomach at the same time, "Thank you."

"So, how about this Friday?"

"I can't."

"Saturday?"  
"I'm sorry but I'm going out of town this weekend."

"Oh how nice! Where are you heading?"

She thought it was strange he asked but she could still be polite and illusive, "The beach, with some friends."

"Oh well since you gave me such a good recommendation let me give you one in return. Go to Sunayama beach. It is breathtaking this time of year and the summer crowd won't be there this time of year. Should be perfect."

She wasn't sure if she should be worried or not that he had just suggested the very beach they were going to, "Thanks."

She turned to walk away but he continued, "So how about when you get back? Please? I'd really like to see you sometime outside of these cafe lights? I can pick you up here if you like? What do you say?"

Her inner voice was screaming at her to run away, but that must just be the part of her that is still in love with Mamoru, "Okay. I'm off next Thursday."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 7."

He finally left, leaving her another big tip. This time she just gave the whole thing to the cook. Her insides were raging at her but she did her best to ignore them. She was never going to get over Mamoru if she never tried. This guy, Gabriel, would have to do for now.

The doorbell rang again, but this time it was Makoto. She came and sat with her, her feet aching from not getting enough rest.

Makoto set a plant on the table before her, "This is for you. It will bring you luck in love!"

She laughed, "Oh Makoto-chan, you know I will just kill it."

"It's an easy plant Usagi-chan, just put it in the sun and water it."

She looked it over, touching its thick leaves, "Well maybe it will come in handy. I just got asked out."

Makoto nearly fell out of her chair, "On a date?"

"Yes of course on a date."  
"What did you say?"

"I said yes."  
"But," Makoto leaned in as if someone was listening, "what about Mamoru?"

She folded her arms across her chest as if it would protect her heart from her thoughts on him, "Mamoru...Mamoru and I are no longer together. He doesn't love me anymore."

"Usagi-chan.."

She stood quickly, wanting to end the conversation, "I need to close up. I'll just be 30 minutes, then we can go."

With finals and end of the year cleaning around the school, the week flew by. Before she knew it, it was early Friday morning. The sun had not even risen yet, but the girls were leaving early.

She was packing her bag making sure to include a bathing suit or two. The water may or may not be warm enough this early in the year but they had been having some really warm weather lately. Plus Minako's Uncle's place had a heated pool. It came in handy having a friend who had the hook-up sometimes.

She carried her bag downstairs and set it by the door, ready to go on time. She started making some coffee when there was a knock at the door. The girls were actually early for once. Ami must have been in charge of their schedule.

She opened the door, not bothering to look, sure in who was there, "Come on in ladies, I'm just making some coffee for the road…"

"Usagi-chan!"

Chibi-usa jumped on her, surprising her so much, she almost dropped her, "Chibi-usa? What are you doing here?"

She fained hurt, "Is that anyway to talk to someone you haven't seen in a MONTH! I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too."

She hugged her tightly, enjoying the warm soft feel of her little body in her arms. But she almost dropped her again when Mamoru walked in behind her.

"Do you not look before opening the door?"

Starting in already.

"If it was anyone I needed to worry about, do you really think a door would stop them?"

He was silent, she had won this battle.

Chibi-usa was jumping up and down with excitement, "I can't wait to get to the beach!"

Taken aback, "Wait, what?"

"Makoto was kind enough to invite Chibi-usa to go to the beach with you guys."

Oh, was that all. Her heart slowed its pace, "Yeah! It will be so much more fun with you there Chibi-usa! We can look for shells, and build a sandcastle, and then I will teach you the secret Tsukino fish catching technique."

"Oh cool! Will you teach Mamoru too?"

She was thrown again, "Mamoru isn't coming."

Chibi-usa looked as though she might cry, "Of course he is, aren't you Mamo-chan?"

Clearly Chibi-usa had worked him over pretty good earlier, "Yes, I'm coming too. I can't leave you alone Chibi-usa."

A honk from outside signaled the girls arrival and Chibi-usa bounded out the door to greet them. Leaving the two of them alone.

The smell of coffee wafted through the air calling her back to her original plans of making a cup in her thermos. Anything to busy her mind and calm her racing heart.

Not taking the hint, Mamoru followed her into the kitchen, feeling the need to explain himself, "This wasn't my idea."

"I believe you."

"Chibi-usa wouldn't let it go till I agreed."

"I understand."

Her coffee made, she left him standing there, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door. She gave Makoto and evil glare and threw her bag into the back of her car. The skirt of her dress flipped up a bit in the cool breeze of morning, causing her to shiver. She pulled her jacket a little tighter around her. The girls were all in their summer attire, no longer able to wait till the weather was truly warm enough. Shorts, tank tops, and sun dresses with flip flops from now on.

Mamoru's car was parked behind hers and they all made their way to their respective seats until, "I wanna ride with the girls!" cried Chibi-usa.

"But there isn't enough room for all of us," mused Ami.

"That's okay," Makoto offered, "Minako and I will ride with Mamoru," she jabbed Minako in her ribs, "won't we."

Minako sputtered a bit, "Oh yeah..I..uh..want to catch a few more 'zzz's anyways."

The two of them jumped into Mamoru's car before anything else could be said, Makoto in the front right next to Mamoru with Minako in the back middle seat.

Rei stood next to her at the back of her car, "Those two are up to something," she looked at Chibi-usa who was wearing a mischievous grin, "you know anything about it?"

Chibi-usa quickly got it the car, hiding from Rei's questioning, "Come on Rei, let's just get to the beach. The salty air is calling my name," Usagi begged.

It took them four hours, but they finally arrived at Minako's family beach house. The place wasn't a mansion but it wasn't a trailer either. It was two stories high with a widow's walk on top. The stairs curved down around a huge tree. The house was up on stilts with a private board walk to the beach. It's bright blue shutters stood out against the white planks that made up the exterior of the house.

Makoto and Minako walked on either side of Mamoru, still talking quietly away.

"This too will pass. What will you do when it does and you are too late?" Minkoa asked him.

Seeing that she was watching, they all got silent and split away from one another as if nothing was going on.

They entered to a cozy living room with the kitchen opened up to it on the other side. Before them stood a huge sliding door that led to a large deck that was attached to the boardwalk. Minako continued to take everyone else on a tour, but she stayed behind unnoticed. She slid her bag off her shoulder and onto the couch. Taking one more look behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed, she silently slid open the door to the deck.

The salty air hit her nose, exciting her senses. The sun, now high in the sky, heated her quickly, forcing her to remove her jacket. Now she only had on her loose sundress, it's tiny straps slipping occasionally off her shoulder.

She stood and leaded against the railing, letting the sound of crashing waves relax her frazzled nerves. She stretched her arms up towards the sun and spoke to herself, "Yeah the beach was a good idea." She enjoyed her moment of solitude, having so few minutes alone these days. But it was short lived.

"Come on Usagi-chan."

A tiny hand grabbed hers and pulled her with surprising strength towards the ocean. A blur of pink and white, Chibi-usa had already changed into her suit. Her's sat hidden underneath her dress, not wanting to have to waste any time once she got here.

They were the first on the beach, the girls and Mamoru slowly making their way down the boardwalk behind them. She could just make them out in the distance, having also put on suits, she could make out their respective colors without seeing their faces. Ami in her blue one piece sat her chair in the sand, put up an umbrella, and pulled out her book, not wasting her time. Rei set her chair next to hers and sat in her red one piece that was made of criss cross straps across her stomach. Makoto, wearing a light green two piece, and Minako, wearing a neon orange and yellow two piece with gold hoops attaching the front of the two pieces together, laid out towels and began putting on lotion. Mamoru sat on a towel on the other side of Ami, watching the water. He wore a flimsy old t-shirt and dark blue shorts, dark shades hiding his eyes, looking cool and calm which bugged her to no end.

She was knee deep in the water with Chibi-usa, watching her swim and letting her splash her, when Makoto called out to them, "Chibi-usa, Usagi-chan, come put on some sunscreen!" Always the mother, Makoto.

Chibi-usa groaned but still followed orders. Usagi followed behind slowly, letting the sea pull her back and forth a few times before getting out.

Chibi-usa stood before Makoto who proceeded to apply sunscreen all over her little body.

Minako looked up at her from her spot on her towel, "Come on Usagi-chan, the sun is burning away. Get that dress off already."

She hesitated, but a quick glance told her Mamoru was not watching. She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and pulled her dress up over her head. Her bathing suit was nothing special, a light pink two piece with two tiny straps and a heart shaped neckline.

Minako and Makoto didn't miss the opportunity, "Woo Hoo, what a babe!" "Whoa hot hot!"

She swatted and shushed them blushing from head to toe, looking over again to see Mamoru's eye firmly planted on her now. His shades hid his eyes and the rest of his face was stoic, just what she should have expected from him.

Chibi-usa pulled on her again, "Come on Usagi-chan."

She quickly followed her back to the water, it's cool waves washing away her flustered skin. The two of them played and splashed around for a while, the rest looking up from their tasks every now and then.

She saw that one of the girls brought down sandcastle building toys...including a small bucket. She whispered her evil plan into Chibi-usa's ear who excitedly agreed to help. She stood at the water's edge while Chibi-usa retrieved the bucket. She then filled it with cold water from the bottom. Having to hush each other a few times, they finally got themselves together enough to approach to two sunbathing beauties unnoticed. She held the heavy bucket high above them and Rei and Ami took cover. She poured its contents right onto their unsuspecting backs.

The two jumped up, screeching and dancing around as if they had been set on fire. Their confusion only lasted a few seconds as their eyes landed on her and Chibi-usa.

"Chibi-usa...RUN!"

The two of them took off running serpentine as the two beauties now gave chase. Chibi-usa's laugh rang out like a bell. She picked her up, carrying her to keep her from falling behind.

"Usagi!" The two angry women called after her.

"That's what you get for CATCALLING!"

Minako yelled back at her, still close on her heels, "It was a complement!"

Chibi-usa called back to them this time, "Well you two looked hot, we were just cooling you down!"

"Good one Chibi-usa!" She applauded the girl.

They ran back into the sea, stopping Minako but not Makoto who jumped in after them. She released Chibi-use to the water just as Makoto tackled her. Fully drenched, Makoto felt her revenge had been served and released her.

Usagi turned back towards the beach, "Come on Minako, it won't bite!"

"I don't want to mess up my hair?"

"Who is going to see it?" She was right, they were the only ones around for what looked like a mile.

Makoto used her arm and sent water flying, spraying Minako right in the face. Now, she charged in after both of them.

"Ami, Rei help!"

The two looked up from their books with little interest. Minako splashed her, starting up a war.

She stepped out of the fray to give Ami and Rei her best begging face. The two relented, marking their place and putting their books down and slowly coming into the water. Now only Mamoru remained, sitting alone on his towel watching like a bodyguard. Maybe that's why Makoto made him come, extra protection.

Makoto grabbed up Ami and tossed her into the water. Even the Goddess of Water screamed as she flew into the cool water. Rei held up a warning hand to Makoto to keep her from tossing her. But Usagi snuck up behind her with the bucket full again and dumped it over her head.

"Oh Usagi-chan, you are so dead!"

She squealed, barely dodging Rei's grasp she as tried to get her revenge. They all took turns, splashing, tossing, and drenching each other. She didn't even notice Chibi-usa leave and get Mamoru. But there she was, dragging him into the water as well. He managed to get his shirt off before she pulled him deep into the water. Water droplets gleamed on his toned, tanned chest. She forced herself to tear her eyes away.

He tossed Chibi-usa up into the air and she fell happily into the water with a big splash, crashing over all of them.

"OH! Okay guys, time to team up. Us, against Chibi-usa and Mamoru."

Chibi-usa pouted, "Hey that's not fair! That's too many on one side!"

"You're right, " Makoto reasoned, "Usagi-chan go be on Chibi-usa and Mamoru's team" She was already shoving her over.

"Yeah," Minako added, "You two started this after all."

She was starting to notice a pattern. Chibi-usa stood/swam between them and she tried not to look over at him but she slipped a few times, catching his eyes on her at the same time. He picked up Chibi-usa again, using her like a bomb, tossing her so she landed right in front of the girls. Her splash spraying all of them at once.

As soon as Chibi-usa's head popped back up from under the water, she grabbed her up and ran along with Mamoru. The girls tried to splash them, but the two, while holding Chibi-usa between them, where too fast.

Mamoru took Chibi-usa out of her arms, readying her for battle once again. She splashed landed again, but this time the girls were ready for their attack, grabbing Chibi-usa up before she could get to her.

They held her up like ransom. She looked to Mamoru and shrugged, "No man left behind."

The dove in together, swimming quickly up to the girls. Rei held Chibi-usa captive behind enemy lines while Ami used her powers to bind them together.

"Hey, no powers!"

"Sorry Usagi-chan but we all need to practice whenever we can. Shouldn't have woken up our powers for us."

They stood back to back, unable to move no matter how much they struggled. They had them.

Surrounding them, Rei held Chibi-usa close by as a reminded of what they were risking.

Minako took over as their leader, "Do you two give up?"

She whispered to him, "Looks like they win."

She felt him nod behind her and the water released them. He turned, fast, grabbing her arms but looking her in the eyes, asking for her trust. She gave it to him.

He swung her out, lifting her body just inches above the water, then dipping her back down so that the speed of her body against the water caused a thick spray to eject out. He swung her around once before pulling her back up to a standing position next to him. Looking around, she found the girl coughing and dripping from their final attack.

"Okay, you guys win," Minako sputtered.

Mamoru leaned into her ear, still standing closely to her, "You should never give up so easily."

Her shocked face broke him out of whatever had come over him and he quickly headed back to shore. They all followed after him. Everyone went back to their original spots before the war, still catching their breaths. She sat in the sand with Chibi-usa working on a castle.

When the sun was squarely above them, Makoto left to go make lunch. The water receded into low tide, leaving a few puddles of water around and one large one.

"Come on Chibi-Usa."

The little pink haired one followed her, curious as to what adventure she would get her into next. The puddle sat a good foot from were Mamoru sat and it was fairly swallow but really wide. Looking in, she saw what she was looking for. It had a handful or two of medium sized fish.

"I'm going to teach you the secret Tsukino way to catch a fish."

She leaned over the water, careful not to disturb it, just like her father had taught her. She waited for the right moment, then she thrusted her hand under the water, pulling it up in an instant with a fish in her hand. Releasing it after a second back into the water

"WOW! Mamo-chan, Mamo-chan come here!"

The man looked over and slowly walked over to where they crouched, "Mamo-chan watch Usagi-chan!"

She did it again with ease, Chibi-usa bouncing with joy, "Teach me, teach me!"

She smiled, remembering how she had done the same when her father taught her, "First you have to hypnotize the fish," she leaned in close to Chibi-Usa's face, touching her nose to hers just like her father did to her, and started into her eyes wide with curiosity, "you must be very patient and still," Chibi-Usa didn't move a muscle, "then, once you have them, you strike!"

She grabbed Chibi-Usa's tiny tummy, tickling her. Once she settled again, she moved close to the water for her try. She stared intently at the water as still as a statue. Then she stuck the water and pulled up a fish on her first try.

"Great job Chibi-Usa!"

"Yeah, that was impressive Chibi-usa." Mamoru looked over at her, impressed.

"My dad taught me." She answered his silent question.

The fish slipped out of her hand and back into the water, "Mamo-chan, you try!"

He reached in and grabbed, coming up empty handed, "Aw, poor Mamo-chan. Usagi-chan, you need to teach him how!"

She hesitated, then turned and looked him in the eyes teaching him to "hypnotize" a fish, standing as far back as she could from him.

But Chibi-usa was not satisfied, "No Usagi-chan, you are not doing it right. Show him how to do it!"

She sighed. No way out of this it seems. She took steady steps to him while he stayed motionless. She approached him like bird, any missteps and he would fly away. He remained crouched next to the pool so she leaned over letting her face get inches from his. And she froze, staring deep into his eyes. His eyes wiggled, moving back and forth searching her eyes. She felt a small hand on the back of her head as Chibi-usa pushed hem closer still. Till her nose touched his just like she did with her. She silently cursed herself for being so cute with the little girl but who knew it would come back to bite her?

But now she had another problem. She couldn't move. She was frozen, being so close to him again for the first time in weeks. His closeness was a like a drug, she thought she was over it, but she was addicted. Even the smallest dose put her right back over the edge.

"Usagi?"

A new voice broke her out of it and she scrambled away from him. He was looking where the voice came from, behind her, and his face was a mixture of emotions. But she was pretty sure one of them was anger.

She turned around to find the body that the voice belonged to. It was Gabriel. How in the hell…

"I thought that was you!"

"Gabriel? What are you doing here?"

"Oh well, I found myself feeling a bit jealous of you, getting to go to the beach for the weekend so I called up a few friends and we all came here!"

"Wow, well that's nice."

"Yeah, and how nice that you took my suggestion?"

"What suggestion?" Mamoru's voice was low and gruff.

"To come to this beach of course."

Mamoru got up and stood next to her like an overprotective dog. She wanted to tell him to heal.

"Hello, I'm Gabriel." He put his hand to Mamoru, who took it without hesitation.

"I'm Mamoru." The look on Gabriel's face was clear, Mamoru was squeezing his hand pretty hard. She jabbed her elbow into his ribs, forcing him to let go.

But Gabriel quickly recovered, "Nice grip."

"Hi, I'm Minako." She jumped, not noticing when she had joined them.

Rei was with her as well, "And I'm Rei."

"Gabriel."

Wasting no time, Minako jumped right in, "So how do you know Usagi?"

"He is a frequent customer at the cafe."

She was trying to answer before him, hoping to keep him from telling them about their upcoming date. It seemed to work as he just nodded in agreement with her description. Not that it was a lie, more like an omission of the truth.

"So Usagi, what are you and your friends up to later tonight? My friends and I are having a party later. You should come. You should all come. We are just a few houses down the beach," he stepped up next to her, gently turning her and pointing out to show her something, "See there, the one with purple flags? That's it," he stepped back away from her again and Mamoru tugged on her arm, pulling her back to his side, "see, so close!"

She pulled her arm out of his grasp, a bit peeved at his behavior, "I'm sorry, but I'll have to talk it over with everyone else. I don't think they will be up for it."

"Well I hope you all do come," he turned to go and she felt herself relax a little, "But if not, we're still on for Thursday right Usagi."

He didn't wait for her answer, he just shouted it out to the crowd as he backed away down the beach, revealing her little secret.

Chibi-usa came out from her little hiding spot behind Mamoru, "What did he mean by that Usagi-chan?"

"Yeah what did he mean by that Usagi?" Mamoru was right behind her when he asked. She could feel the heat of his skin on the back of hers.

Minako and Rei also looked at her, waiting for some kind of explanation, but she didn't owe them anything, "I don't want to talk about it," she walked away without another word.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

" _What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow._

 _What are brief? today and tomorrow._

 _What are frail? spring blossoms and youth._

 _What are deep? the ocean and truth."_

― _**Christina Rossetti**_

Makoto had made them sushi. Spicy salmon, tempura shrimp, and california rolls. They smelled amazing, but she had lost her appetite, only having gotten it back last week. She rolled through the the kitchen living room combo, picking up her forgotten bag off of the couch without stopping. Makoto greeter her but she didn't stop. She knew the girls were on her heels and stopping would allow them to catch up.

She went up the stairs and found the first room that looked like it hadn't been claimed and shut the door. The room was right over the kitchen and the sounds from it filtered up through the wood floor.

"What happened?" Sounded like Makoto.

"We met Gabriel." Minako's voice.

"He's here? How did he even know where she was?" Makoto

"Apparently, he suggested the place. Maybe Usagi told him we would be here." Rei joined the conversation.

"Wow, he is persistent I'll give him that."

Someone stomped through and didn't stop. Coming up the stairs, she held her breath, listening to see were they went. But they went right past her door and shut the door to their room.

Chibi-usa was there now, bubbling away about catching fish and going to a party. She pulled out her headphones and turned the volume up high and drowned out any other sounds. At some point, she fell asleep, alone for the first time in weeks.

The music on her headphones, twisted and changed from the modern techno she started out listening to, to a classical genre. Strings and piano replaced the bass and trumpets. Everything turned around and changed, shifting until her eyes 'opened' to the dining room back at the Moon Palace.

It had been so long since she had been there, she almost forgot what was going on. Everyone was seated except for Endymon and her mother, who were missing. But she wasn't worried. Quite the opposite actually. She knew that Endymon was busy asking her mother for her hand. It seemed to be taking a while.

Just when she was about to get worried, Endymon walked in escorting her mother. A few whispers reverberated around the hall. Looks like the Queen of Lunar and the Prince of Earth caused some people to talk.

He pulled her mother's seat out for her, "Oh there you are Endymon. We were about to send a search party."

He leaned over and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, "Sorry mother, the Queen and I had some business to attend to."

His mother looked over at her with a knowing smile, "Is that so?"

She caught his eye and he gave her quick wink, that earned him a smile and a blush, that didn't go unnoticed by Minako to her left. Her mother reached over and padded her hand, as if in approval of her actions. Or choice she wasn't sure. But they still had to make it through dinner.

This night, their table included the Queen and King of Ganymede and their Son, Theo, one of her suitors, and Lord of Albategnius, a sister colony on Lunar, Diamonde who was also a suitor. These two were her most persistent and she was beginning to think they had moved on, having left her alone till now. But their looks and stares told her otherwise.

Diamonde lived on the moon, the other pole of the Palace. Makoto liked to call it the Dark Moon as these people spent most of their days in darkness. If they were anything like Diamonde, then it really affected them. He was cruel and twisted and always around. He reported to her mother at least once a month but every now and then he would stop by for a random visit.

One of those random visits, he cornered her in a garden and tried to kiss her, saying obscene things to her and trying to touch her. She never told her mother, she never told anyone. And now he was staring at her like he had won something for it. Her appetite was gone for sure now.

"You are looking well Princess Serenity." Even his voice made her skin crawl.

"Thank you Lord Diamonde."

Minako knew just how she felt about the guy, and gave her hand a squeeze under the table.

"Oh my, so many suitors at one table. Selene you are not giving poor Serenity much of a chance tonight are you?" Minako's mother asked.

She looked over at Endymon but he was unphased. He must have already known what he was getting into tonight. Something her mother discussed with him on the way here perhaps? He gave her a comforting smile. At least he was here with her tonight.

Minako's father leaned in, looking around the table at all the other faces, "Which ones are suitors again? She has so many, it's hard to keep track." Leave it to Minako's family to speak so candidly.

Her mother gracefully stretched her hand out to each suitor and introduced them, saving Endymon for last, surprising the whole table save for Minako and herself. She took a glance at her two suitors at the other side of the table. Theo and his parents were unphased. Maybe he had lost interest.

But Diamonde. He looked like he was ready to set the table on fire, "So, Prince..Endymon was it? What do you have to offer the Princess and the Moon for that matter?"

It was the kind of question that the Queen would ask a suitor behind closed doors, not in front of everyone. It was not the sort of thing two people asking for her hand should discuss.

She hoped Endymon would just ignore it or something but of course he didn't, "Well...my own Kingdom for starters."

She, and many others at the table, had to hold in their laughter. Minako's parents didn't of course. Their laughter only furthered to enrage Diamonde.

Fearing a duel in their future, she immediately looked to change the subject, "It was warm today wasn't it?"

Diamonde did not allow it though, "there are more important things to offer a young lady besides a Kingdom. Especially one that is failing."

No one laughed at that, with Earth and Lunar relations so thin, everyone knew better. The Queen gave Diamonde a look that told him had gone too far. But instead of being fearful of the Queen's rage, he just gloated to himself as if he had won some big battle. Diamonde was surely a coward, his little compound was only doing so well because the Lunar Kingdom kept it that way.

None of the Earthans at the table seemed bothered by his words. Clearly they were the bigger people.

"Really? Why don't you share your vast knowledge on the subject? Please. I'm sure we would all like to learn how to make a lady happy." Endymon edged him on, making the tension at the table rise.

Diamonde laughed, "Don't you know? Well then let me teach you," he looked at her as he spoke, "by providing the finer things and all the comforts a lady could ever ask for. Anything past that, you will have learn on your own Prince Endymon."

He didn't say it, but the way he looked at her told her exactly what he meant by his last words. Her stomach turned and she felt as if she might be ill.

She stood so quickly that she almost knocked her chair over, "Please excuse me everyone, I have a slight headache…"

"Oh how unfortunate, I hope it passes before the ball tonight. I am so looking forward to a dance later." Diamonde cooed after her. She had to get out of there before she spilled what little continents she had on her stomach all over the marble floor.

Every time he was around, she felt this way but with Endymon pushing him, it was worse than usual from all the things he said about her.

Making it through the grand hall doors and out into the empty hallway, she allowed herself to stop. A hand on the wall, she felt its cool marble underneath. She soon pressed her forehead against it and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply to calm her stomach.

Warm hands gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Happy to find dark blue eyes looking into hers, she leaned her back against the wall and looked up at him, her head against the wall as well.

"Why the hell is that guy even allowed in the Palace?"

"He is the leader of a Lunar colony, he has to come here."

"Oh yeah? How did he get that title? The guy is clearly unhinged!"

"I don't know. He usually isn't that bad but you being a suitor must have brought out the worst in him."

"The worst?! I hate to break it to you Serenity but that guy is just getting warmed up. He was the one I was keeping you from last night."

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, I heard him talking to one of his underlings about you. I knew I had to keep you away from him."

"I'm not surprised really."

She thought about the time he cornered her. It hadn't been that different from the man who attacked her on Earth. Her stomach turned again at the thought of being that close to Diamonde, and she was going to have to dance with him tonight.

"Serenity? What is it?"

She shook her head, she didn't want to talk about it. But somehow, Endymon figured it out, "That bastard."

She looked up at him to see he was turning back towards the dining hall. She quickly grabbed onto anything she could reach and pulled with all her might to get him back to her. She forced him to look at her, turning his face with her hand, afraid if she let go he would disappear.

Gaining his eyes, she did her best to calm him, "It was years ago and nothing happened..he just...scared me that's all."

"That's more than enough."

He tried to pull away from her grasp, but she held on with every fiber of her being. She must have worn her fear on her face because one look at her and he stopped.

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, "I'm sorry Serenity. The idea of anyone hurting you drives me wild."

"Now who has the wild heart?"

He lifted her to his lips. She could feel his desperation in his mouth, he had gone as long as he could stand apart from her. She could tell that he didn't want to, but he had to part them, ending the kiss almost as quickly as it had started.

He set her back down on her feet but as soon as he let her go to stand on her own, her knees buckled and he had to catch her again before she hit the floor. Everything around her began to spin and suddenly her stomach was turning with the room.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Last night."

"Serenity, you need to eat something. Come, I'll take you back to your seat."  
"No! I can't eat, not with him watching me. I will not be able to keep any of it down."

His anger resurfaced, but he thought of her and calmed himself.

She took his hand, leading him away from the dining hall, "Come with me."

The servants looked at the Prince of Earth with either curiosity or confusion as he sat with her at the table in the kitchen. They didn't mind her, she had been coming in to eat with them for as long as she could remember.

Elsa, a sweet cook in her earlier thirdies placed a steaming plate in front of her, "Here you are Serenity," she said with a smile. Then cautiously placed a plate in front of Endymon and bowed, "Your highness."

He laughed taking up a fork and starting into the delicious meal. He looked over at her to make sure she was eating as well. She picked up her fork and waved it at him before starting into her meal as well.

He took a sip of the wine in front of him, having waited till no one was close, "They don't call you Princess?"

"Not unless my mother is around. Or another stuffy Royal."

He huffed, "Guess I should be thankful not to be considered one of those."

"They probably figure that the Prince of Earth has no acquaintances to tell on them to."

"What do they call me knowing their Princess? We are far more than acquaintances."

He had slid closer to her, purring his words into her ear, she turned to face him, "Surely they think I have befriended you out of pity." She teased.

He leaned in, kissing her infront of all of them without a care in the world who of them was watching, she pulled away quickly, "Endymon!" he grabbed her lips again before she could say more and she pushed him back again, "Endymon stop it," though her giggling ruined the seriousness of the request.

He stopped for a moment, his beautiful smile covering his face, "Oh come on Serenity, give them something to gossip about."

And he continued his assault on her lips.

They parted ways after dinner, knowing full well they would be in each other's arms again soon. She almost skipped to her room and almost ran into Minako. She was waiting for her around the corner just outside her room.

"So, he is asking for your hand again?"

"How did you…"  
"Your mother tells my mother everything! Unlike her daughter, now spill Usagi-chan!"

"What did you just call me?"

Minako looked her in the face, confused, "Usagi-chan?"

"Minako? Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because it's your name silly?"

The dream disappeared like an image projected and smoke that someone walked through. Minako's face was inches from hers, poking her cheek with her finger.

"Uuusssaaggiii.."

She jumped up, "AH! Don't do that!"

"Dreaming about the Moon Kingdom again?"

"How did you know that?"

"Because you just fussed at me and told me to call you Serenity!"

"Oh."

"We saved you some sushi. Why don't you come downstairs and eat something? We are all hanging out and we miss you."

Minako's baby doll eyes made it hard to say no. It was late in the afternoon and the girls were all sitting in the living room discussing something. They hushed up a bit at her approach.

"Where is Chibi-usa?"

Rei grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the seat next to her, "Mamoru took her out to play in the ocean again."

Minako jumped on to a chair facing them all, "So it's just us girls!"

Ami sat on the other side of her in a chair, she put a hand on her leg, gaining her attention, "Usagi-chan, why didn't you tell us you have a date next week? It's exciting isn't it?"

She shrugged, "I guess so."

Makoto sat up a little higher in her chair, "But it's with Gabriel. Didn't you tell us he creeped you out?"

"Look, the guy keeps coming into the cafe, if I didn't say yes he would have just kept asking. This way, we go out, he sees how lame I am, and he moves on."

"Usagi-chan you are far from lame!" Rei added, her kind side showing.

Minako stood up from her already precarious position in her chair, "Then let's go to that party tonight!"

Everyone burst, speaking at one, "What?" "That's a terrible idea." "Why would we want to go to that creeper's house?"

Minako silenced them with a hand, "Think about it. Usagi wants to get rid of this guy, why wait till Thursday? And this way, we are there to run interference in case he gets weird!"

The girls were silent, amazed by her logic. None of them could now disagree with her, it was a good idea. But there was one problem.

"What about Chibi-usa?"

"Mamoru can watch her."

Makoto and Minako pounced at once, "NO!"

Looking like they were busted, Makoto tried to save them both, "It's just that...we need him, in case some of the guys there get weird."

"I'll stay with her," Ami offered, "I'm a good babysitter, and I would just be uncomfortable and in the way at a party."

Before she could protest on her friend's behalf, Makoto was shoving her back upstairs to get ready and Mamoru and Chibi-usa walked back in from the beach. She could hear the conversation from the open door of her room.

"We are going to that party tonight." Minako bubbled.

"A party! Yeah!" poor Chibi-usa.

"Oh not you dear." Rei.

"You and I are going to stay here together. We can watch a movie if you like?" Sweet Ami.

"And just what am I supposed to do?" Mamoru, already irritated.

"You are coming with us. Extra protection." Minako

They came bounding up the stairs checking on her as they passed, promising to help her if she needed it, she watched them pass as she sat looking at her reflection in the small vanity in her room. It grew silent and she looked again to see Mamoru standing at her door watching her. Her heart raced as they watched each other. Then he stepped in the room and she thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest. But instead of entering, he grabbed the door and pulled it shut behind him as he left.

She felt a little better after her shower. It had been quick as everyone else was taking one at the same time leaving very little hot water. But it still washed the salt and sand off of her. She pulled the towel off her head, about to start putting her hair up when she froze. Looking at herself in the mirror, she just couldn't bring herself to put her hair up. She wanted to be incognito. It felt like everyone knew who she was but not really. The enemy knew she was the Princess heck, even Gabriel found her on the beach because of her hair no doubt. She was tired of it.

She pulled open a few drawers till she found what she was looking for, scissors. They were tiny, meant for cutting finger nails which would take a while, but they would still work. She took a fist full of hair and cut. The lost hair fell all over the floor, she had a lot of hair. She piled it all up and tossed it out her window for the birds. It wasn't a perfect cut but with the salty air and water, her hair was curling like crazy, falling in long waves and cork screws. Cutting it made it curl even more, causing it to stop in the middle of her back. She pulled a few chunks forward over her shoulders, finding it fell just below her breast. She parted it to one side and left, satisfied.

She threw on the nicest sundress she brought, pure white with eyelet lace around the edges and spaghetti straps. It fit thigh on her hips and breast but it was the only one that looked like a 'party' dress. She slipped on her flip flops and headed downstairs.

Everyone looked nice. Rei wore tight jeans and a dark red tank top. Makoto wore a dark green jumpsuit with spaghetti straps and cropped pants. And Minako wore a tight yellow dress. Mamoru had on blue and white striped board shorts and a tight white shirt. He looked more like he was going to the boardwalk instead of a party.

They were all talking, not paying attention as she snuck downstairs. Mamoru leaned up against the back of the couch, staring at the floor. Rei, Minako, and Makoto were standing at the door, waiting on her to go. Chibi-usa and Ami sat on the couch watching them before they left.

She changed her mind, she did not want to go. She turned to head back upstairs but Chibi-usa stopped her escape.

She called out to her from the couch, "Usagi-chan you look pretty!"

Everyone turned now and they all stopped. It was because of her hair. It wasn't that big of a change, but given she'd had it all her life, and in her past one, it was a big deal.

Makoto was the first to get her act together, "Usagi-chan...your hair."

No turning back now, she headed for the door, not making eye contact with anyone, "Let's not make a big deal about it okay. Good night Chibi-usa. Ami call us if you need us, we will just a few houses down."

No one said a word as she left out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

That's right, two updates in one day. My way of making up for not posting this weekend. I completely forgot. Can't believe it has been a month since I started posting this story. Maybe I should just go ahead and post the whole thing. That way I can start posting the sequel to The Blood Countess. Speaking of, I have not idea what to name the sequel. Any ideas?

 **Chapter 12**

" _You could concentrate much more deeply when you were alone with agony."_

― _**William Goldman**_ _,_ _ **The Princess Bride**_

The group was not far behind her. They walked down their private boardwalk and back onto the sand. The sun was setting, lighting the ocean on fire. Her friends were talking excitedly behind her while she felt like she was heading to a funeral.

She took off her sandals, holding them in her hand and walked in the water, letting the waves splash her legs. A shadow soon appeared next to hers and she was no longer alone in the water. Mamoru walked silently next to her, in the sand not the water. She could feel him watching her, taking in her appearance. Probably so he wouldn't lose her in the crowd, having stripped away her identity.

Her dream was still fresh on her mind, she could still taste Endymon on Serenity's lips. But she wasn't Serenity and he wasn't Endymon. They said nothing, walking in silence till the girls found the house they were looking for.

"Come on you two!" Rei called to them, they were already waiting on the boardwalk to the house party.

She felt great pain, leaving the water, but she did and Mamoru trailed behind her like a watchdog.

Minako and Makoto linked their arms through hers and lead her in. The party was already in full swing, people drinking, standing in groups talking, and even a large room full of dancers. The house was at least twice the size of Minako's family house. Looking up the winding staircase, it seemed to go up forever.

Her protection held on tight to her as she searched the party. Part of her knew Minako's plan was sound but the other part just wanted to run away and change her name so she didn't have to deal with any of this ever again.

Minako looked over at her and winked, "You need to loosen up Usagi-chan. Let's go dance."

"I don't know…"  
Makoto chimed in as well, "Come on it is still a party. Let's try and have some fun!"

Rei grabbed her shoulders and pushed her along to the dance floor. The house itself was loud with voices, but you could still hear one another. But not in the dance room. It was full of bodies pushing and moving to the music. The four of them found an empty spot on the floor and started dancing but in a 'we are here together don't touch us' kind of way. She looked back behind her for Mamoru but he was gone.

The girls were moving crazy to the beat, having a good time and laughing. They encouraged her again and again to loosen up. So she let loose so they would shut up. Her hair flipped around her in a funny sensation that she was not use to. It felt a little freeing, not having her hair in the same style it was every day.

She played with it, something she never did, and let it fall on her shoulders and back.

She was feeling better about the whole situation. She was finally starting to have fun. The song changed to something more primal and the DJ changed the lights to match. Gone were the happy pinks and yellows and in there place were reds and greens. The whole dance floor shifted, changing into a beast of its own. The crowd swallowed her up and she lost sight of her friends in the crowd. She tried to push her way back to them but the people she pushed on either didn't move or tried to grind on her.

A hand spun her around, putting her face to face with Gabriel who pulled her into him without giving her a choice.

The music pounded in her ears but he leaned in close to talk, "I'm glad to see you made it. Love your hair," he purred in her ear.

He pressed his body against hers and moved them to the music. His hips moved against hers and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it and just have fun, it just felt wrong. So wrong. Like she was being unfaithful to Mamoru.

She tried to leave but he pulled her back, turning her to face outwards, his chest touching her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist holding her still and unable to run.

His mouth at her ear again, he talked so close to her ear that she could feel his breath on her neck, "You are so beautiful Usagi."

Her heart started to burn like heartburn, but it kept getting worse and worse until she felt she might fall to the floor. She prayed she would pass out just so she could get away.

Strong hands ripped her away and off the dance floor. They didn't stop pulling her until they were outside of the house. She didn't realize it till the sand was under her feet again. Her heart continued to burn but it was a bearable pain.

The hand released hers and she finally managed to look up into the stormy blue eyes she knew had been the ones to save her. Instead of giving him gratitude, she was thrown back by his anger.

"What the hell is going on with you Usagi?" she stood silent, letting him continue, "You cut your hair, you dance...like that..with some guy you don't even know, and you lie!"

"My hair will grow back anyways as soon as I transform again, which will be an day now. He was forcing me to dance with him, not that it is ANY of your business, and when did I lie exactly?"

"When he showed up. We asked you how you knew him and you said he was just a customer. You failed to mention you were dating him,"

She made her way back towards the water, her heart was burning more intensely the longer they talked, "I 'failed to mention' it, I didn't lie. And I'm not dating him, again not your business. I agreed to one date to get him to leave me alone."

"And that seems to be working well."

She turned to face him, putting a sharp finger in his chest and poking as she talked, "Hey, it's not like I have any experience with this. And if it bothers you so much then you shouldn't have given me a reason to date."

He grabbed her finger and pulled it away from his chest, not letting go of it. She wretched it from his grasp and tried to walk away. He grabbed her again but she pulled away again continuing her walk towards the sea. The sound of the party was slowly getting washed away by the sound of the waves crashing. She just needed to get to the water. She wasn't sure how it would help her burning heart and eyes but she just had to anyways.

He grabbed her again and this time when she pulled away he called out to her, "Usako."

That was the last straw. She turned to him again, her anger taking control, "How dare you. How dare you call me that. Like nothing has happened. Like you didn't throw me away like I was nothing. How dare you use that name as some means to calm me, like I'm a pet."

He grabbed her again, and she pulled away running now to the ocean, "Usako stop."

She froze. She didn't know why, maybe it was the tone of his voice or maybe it was the part of her that still loved him. Although that part was more like a whole but she had done her best to bury it. But his pleas made it come crashing to the surface once again.

He stepped in front of her, blocking her from moving any closer to the water. The slope of the sand caused them to be the same height, his face level with hers. The moon lit her face while the street lamps behind her lit his. He was crying. She was pretty sure she had never seen him cry. It broke her.

She wiped away his tears and held his head against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her so tight she almost couldn't breath. The heat in her heart rose even more at his touch, but she ignored it not wanting to break away from him.

He lifted his head from her chest and brushed away the tears she had shed, "I'm sorry Usako. I'm so sorry. I had no choice…" she was confused, what was he saying. He decided not to finish his thought, "I've missed you so much."

No longer able to stand it, he kissed her. It held all the ferocity of a long awaited kiss and she felt it all. All of his desire and loneliness. He had missed her as much as she missed him. Their tears mixed together in a salty tang on his sweet lips.

The fire in her chest raged with such intensity, she thought for sure she was going to die. But as least she would die in his arms. She held on tight, not wanting him to ever let her go again and he held on just as tight.

The pain popped inside her and she lost control of her arms. They released Mamoru and pushed him away roughly. She grabbed her chest feeling as though any second now it would explode. She fell to her knees, a hand landing in the sand next to them to steady herself. Mamoru was on the ground next to her looking frantic and helpless.

"Usako! Usako what's wrong?"

She could barely speak through the pain, "My..heart….it's on….fire!"

White hot light filled her eyes. She heard herself scream right before everything turned black.

She woke up, back in her room. Having no memory of getting there, she looked around finding Mamoru sitting on the edge of her bed next to her. His head was in his hands while his elbows rested on his knees. She reacted up and touched his shoulder, not sure if he was really there or not.

He jumped and turned at her touch, "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"A little groggy. How long was I out?"

He touched the back of his hand to her head, "A couple of hours," he seemed satisfied with how she felt, "you had a really high fever."

"A fever?"

"Do you remember?"

"I remember my heart feeling like it was on fire."

"You passed out."

She took his eyes in hers, "I also remember you saying that you missed me."

He sighed and turned away from her, "I do, Usako. More than you will ever know," her heart thumped to life, having been dead since the day he stopped it, "but that doesn't change anything."

And then it stopped again, "What are you saying?"

He took a minute to collect his thoughts, she could see his hands shaking from there, "I love you Usako. You are the only woman I have ever loved and you always will be. But we can't be together."

He somehow managed to make and break her heart in one sentence, "I'm sorry. I wish it wasn't true. But it's for your own safety."

He stood up to leave, his words washing over her. For her own safety? Then everything snapped into place in her head. She leapt out of the bed, a move she regretted instantly but it had to be done, and put herself between him and the door.

"This is about the dream isn't it."

He looked fearful, she had caught him and he didn't know how, "I don't know what you are talking about."

He tried to go around her but she blocked him again, "That night, the last night we were together, you had a dream. It was about me, I heard you say my name. But when you woke up, you lied to me. You said it was about our deaths at the Moon Kingdom…"

"It was." He tried again to escape.

But she wasn't letting that happen, "But you called out Usako. Not Serenity."

He stopped trying to leave and backed up, flopping on the bed.

She knelt on the floor before him, forcing him to look her in the eyes, "Tell me. Tell me what happened?"

"You die."

"I die? That's it?"

"No that's not it. You die and I have to watch, unable to stop it. And then a voice tells me it's my fault and that if I want you to live I have leave your life."

She couldn't believe it. That was all?! "You dumped me over that? It's a stupid dream Mamo-chan."

He pulled away from her and began to pace the room, "It's more than that Usako. It's just like our memories. Every touch, smell, it's all real. You are ripped from me and the only thing I have left of you each time is your hot blood on my hands."

She stood, grabbing his arm to stop his pacing, "Don't you see? It's just the enemy trying to seperate us. We are stronger together."

He pulled away from her touch, "You don't know that. You don't know who is sending them to me. I touch you once in a month and you almost die from a fever."

"Oh come on Mamo-chan, now you're just reaching…"

"I know I know. But I can't take losing you."

"So you are willing to lose me to keep me alive," he just looked at her, it wasn't a question, "and I get no say in this. It's my life, my heart and I don't get a choice?"

"Not this time...no."

He was still treating her like a child. So she acted like one. She stomped out, unable to look at his face any longer, and slammed the door behind her.

She waited till she heard him leave her room before she went back up. But her night was restless. Her whole body ached, like growing pains all over her body. She found herself tossing and turning till she finally gave up as the Sun's light peaked through her window.

Getting up, she felt cold. Even when she went out on the deck and stood in the Sun's warm rays.

Chibi-usa ate her breakfast in a hurry, eger to get back out in the ocean. The rest of the girls ate more leisurely, spying her occasionally to make sure she was in fact eating. She picked around her plate, mostly eating the bland white rice as her stomach did not feel very sound. She had just spent the better part of the morning convincing them to stay till the end of the vacation. So now she needed to show them they didn't have to worry about her so she didn't have to spend the rest of the afternoon convincing them as well.

Mamoru had yet to show himself and she was glad for it. She wasn't sure she could handle his presence just yet. She needed to get more of the ache out of her body first, as he would surely make them all go home if he saw any signs of weakness.

She probably should have let them take her home, she didn't feel much for being at the beach. But it wasn't just her on this vacation. It was all the Senshi who deserved this more than anyone. And Chibi-usa who acted as though she had never been to the beach in her life. Mamoru would never take a vacation unless someone made him. So she had to make them all stay, including herself. If she didn't feel good by tonight, she would sneak away and drive herself home. Leaving a note of course. Sure they would eventually follow her, but it would be a while before they noticed she was gone.

Everyone was getting ready to hit the beach. Her hair, too short for its usual style, she put into a ponytail. It felt strange to no longer have the extra weight, and to wear it any other other style. The tail swished against the back of her neck in a pleasant way.

Her suit was still a little moist from yesterday, making it cold against her skin. She shivered involuntarily. She had to do something to get over this….funk. She ran in place for a minute then she did some jacking jacks. She looked in the mirror again, happy to see her calisthenics had at least put some color in her cheeks. She looked like she was healthy even if she didn't feel like it. She pulled her white beach cover up over her head. It was made of a thin mesh-like material that caused her bright pink suit and pale skin to shine through, but it offered a little bit of warmth. It was like a dress shirt with short sleeves and a hood that was more for show than use. It stopped at her thighs but it still made her feel a bit more comfortable than just walking around in her suit. She popped on a pair of shades to hide the circles under her eyes and felt that she looked fairly convincing.

The girls were already on the beach setting up their space. In the water, Mamoru had finally made his appearance, playing in the surf with Chibi-usa. The sun shone brightly above, it was a beautiful day.

Still feeling a chill, she fluffed out a towel for herself and laid down. The sun kept her warm for the first time that day, the heat working to relax away her sore body. She felt like she was about to get sick, weak and achy. But after what happened last night, she worried it might be more than some kind of cold.

At some point she fell asleep. Not really sure for how long, but the sun was still high when she woke to voices talking louder than she liked.

"I just want to say 'hi'."

"She is sleeping right now. I can tell her you stopped by."

"She's not sleeping, look!"

She sat up on her elbows looking towards the sound of the voices. Her eyes tried to focus on the scene before her while her mind was slowly waking up, trying to understand. Ami stood several steps away from her in front of Gabriel. They both looked at her, Ami out of concern and worry and Gabriel out of thinly veiled interest. Gabriel walked around Ami towards her like he was stalking his prey. She looked around, still taking in her surroundings. Rei was missing, maybe on a walk. Makoto and Minako were gone too. Probably to make lunch? And she could see Mamoru and Chibi-usa were still in the water, too far out to hear or notice Gabriel's approach.

He stood over her now, looking her up and down. She looked down at herself as well. The beach cover up she was wearing had twisted and pushed up in her sleep, placing the hem up to her stomach and the sleeve off her shoulder. She stood quickly, pulling and fixing it back into place.

"How are you feeling? You didn't look so good when you left last night."

His words were that of concern, but for some reason his voice lacked any to her ears, "I'm fine, thank you. Just some bad fish. Sorry I left so….abruptly."

"It is I who should apologize. I'm afraid I may have behaved poorly, I was a bit drunk and was not on my best behavior."

She mind flashed the dance they 'shared' the night before and her skin crawled, "It's okay. We all have our moments."

He laughed, "Yes we do."

Ami had joined them at this point, much to Gabriel's chagrin, "I heard that your house is amazing." She looped her arm through Usagi's as a show of support and she was glad to have it.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get her alone, he started to back off, "Well, I just wanted to say hi and check on your health," Mamoru and Chibi-usa were just coming out of the water having finally noticed their guest, "enjoy this beautiful day ladies! Usagi, I'll see you Thursday!"

He ran off before anyone could say anything. The wave of nausea she had been fighting back turned her stomach and she feared she would lose her breakfast. She bent over, grabbing her knees and taking deep slow breaths while Ami busied herself rubbing her back.

Mamoru, now running up to them, was already looking for a fight, "Are you alright? What did he do?"

Ami put her hands up, trying to defuse the situation, "Nothing, nothing! He just came over to check on Usagi-chan."

She continued to focus on her breathing staring at the sand below her to distract her from the bigger issue. Gabriel still expected her to go out with him on Thursday.

As if to read her mind, "You're not seriously still going to go out with that guy?"

Her nausea was replaced with anger, "It's none of your business Mamoru."

Ami took Chibi-usa away, sensing the immediate need for the two of them to be alone. She could hear Chibi-usa fuss, saying she wanted to see what happened and asking what we were fighting about. Ami gave her some lie and took her far away to build a sandcastle.

"The hell it isn't my business."

She stood up straight, having gotten control of her stomach again, "You made that choice, without me, a choice that took away your right to have any say in my life!"  
"You know I didn't make that choice, it was made for me."  
"No, no it wasn't! You could have chosen to fight. To fight for me and you didn't."

"This is me fighting for you. By giving you a chance to live."

"I life without you is hardly worth living. I wish you felt the same."

"Of course I do Usako."

"Then why don't you fight it? Refuse to give into those dreams. Be with me and let us fight it together."

"I can't. I won't risk it. I won't risk your life for my own selfish needs."

This was going nowhere. He wasn't going to budge, no matter how hard she tried. His mind was made up, even if he was wrong.

Minako's voice called out from the boardwalk, "Lunch is served!"

Minako and Makoto had out done themselves. Fried shrimp, broiled flounder, steamed crab, and white rice. She picked at her rice and flounder, the flavors were nice on her tongue, she wished she could just eat like everyone else. She missed eating.

Everyone lounged in the living room after lunch. Except for Chibi-usa who fell asleep. Mamoru took her upstairs while she tried to slip out the back door.

"Usagi-chan where are you going?"

Busted by Rei, "I'm just going for a walk."

Makoto got up, "I'll go with you," but clearly she was tired from putting together the amazing meal.

"No, you stay and rest."

The rest of the girls clamored, trying to decide who would go with her till she put her hands up, "Look, I love you guys, but I really just want some time to myself. I'll be fine, I won't go far I promise. I'll be back in an hour tops."

And she slipped out the door before it could be discussed any further. She ran for it, Running back to the beach and down it, till she was sure if any of them decided to follow her, she had lost them for a while.

She stopped to catch her breath, but not for long, she had to keep moving. She had opted to go the direction away from Gabriel's place. Didn't want to run into him again. She wished she could just tell him to go away. To cancel her date and tell him to bug off. But she couldn't. It wasn't because she had something to prove or to even punish Mamoru, she could find someone else to do that with, someone more suitable. Every time Gabriel was around, she couldn't seem to get the words she wanted to come out. It was like something was holding her back, keeping her from forming the words.

She had made it to an old pier before turning around. She stood underneath it for a few minutes, watching the water surge and roll around the massive post that held up the pier.

The walk and fresh air did little for her achy body but at least she was alone for a while. Her feet stayed in the water, the wet sand sucking in her feet a little every time the water pulled back into the sea. She felt as though it was trying to pull her in with it, begging her to dip into it's warm waters.

She could just make out the boardwalk back to the house, she could see two of the girls were standing on it looking around but she couldn't tell who just yet. The sea pushed against her feet again but this time something solid hit her ankle. She looked down, finding a perfect conch shell dancing in the water by her feet. It's pink and pearl skin reflecting the sun's rays like funny glass. She picked it up and looked it over. It was whole, no cracks or holes in the shell. She had never found one like this, she usually only found pieces of a conch, broken up by the waves as it made its way to shore. Its pearl colored, curvy inside wound up till there was nothing but black to see. Each spikey point was in perfect condition, giving the conch a little dramatic flare. She held it to her ear, listening to the waves in surround.

This would be a great gift for Chibi-usa. She would give it to her when she got up. She could hold it to her ear and remember the beach no matter where she was.

The girls were livid with her. Guess they couldn't find her for a while. But it was worth it. She ignored their wrath and went straight up to her room to shower the sticky salt off of her.

After a fitful start, she had managed to fall asleep. But it was over way too soon. 1:34 am AGAIN! How long would she be haunted by her parent's death?

There was a strange sound in her room. Like a hollow horn playing softly. She looked around but saw nothing that could be the source. She looked over at the conch, still sitting on her window seal. She had forgotten about it after her shower. Dinner had been pretty quiet, Mamoru was still mad at her for the whole Gabriel thing and the girls were still mad at her for giving them the slip. Chibi-usa, sensing the tension, had dinner in front of the t.v. With all that tension and avoiding eye contact, she had forgotten her found gift. She walked closer, the sound getting louder. It was coming from the conch. Her open window blew wind through the conch making a small musical instrument out of it. She went to close her window but was stopped.

The moon hung heavy in front of her, completely full. She felt it fill her mind, taking over her thoughts and senses. Next thing she knew, she was walking out the back door towards the ocean. She was pretty sure she didn't even close the door behind her but she couldn't make herself stop. The moon was in control of her now.

She stood at the water's edge, waiting for the next command. It came, and she started to strip, taking off her t-shirt and shorts she was sleeping in. Not even hesitating as she took off her bra and panties. Her toes hit the water, and something surged into her. The deeper she went the stronger it got.

She was only waist deep when a voice called out to her, "Usagi! Usagi what are you doing?!"

She recognised that voice. His name was Mamoru. But this girl liked to call him Mamo-chan.

She turned to see him waid out to her, clad in only boxers and an undershirt. The look on his face told her he had just realized that she was naked.

He quickly took his shirt off an offered it to her, "What the hell Usagi, have you lost your mind?"

He held out his shirt to her but she looked at it and turned it down. He moved as if he was going to put it on her himself. But that was not what the she wanted and he was interrupting. Before he could get any closer, she stretched out her arms and fell backwards into the water. It caught her, swaying her back up to the surface. The air hit her face and she took a deep breath before letting herself fall back under the water.

Her aches and pain ebbed away, taking away on the waves. She floated on top of the water, staring up at the Moon. She held up her hand to it, feeling it's power surge through her, healing her. It gave her a wink and she winked back.

"Okay, Usagi. That's enough now put some clothes on!"

He kept calling her by the other girl's name. They were both there, it was only polite that he address her too, "My name is Selene."

He seemed confused and scared, but he played along, humoring her, "Selene huh? Okay Selene, it's time to go back inside and go to bed now."

Usagi got back to her feet, rising off the water's surface, looking at Mamoru in all his scared beauty. As she stood, she felt the strange weight on her head and looked to see her hair pooling around her, grown back to its original length. Selene told her too look closer, the voice inside her her own but not at the same time. She lifted a clump of hair that fell over her shoulder across her chest. It was silver, no longer the strawberry blonde it was before she got into the water.

She held it up getting a better look at it in the moonlight and giggled at it's shiny silver color. She let the strands fall back down and saw that Mamoru had a freaked out look on his face that only caused her to laugh more.

"Okay Usag...Selene. Time to get out." He said it with little confidence, as if he was scared what she had turned into.

But she wasn't scared. The Moon had healed her and Selene had come to play. There was nothing scary about this, they were just...sharing her body for the full moon.

She dipped down into the water, submerging herself up to her chin. With a mischievous smile, she shook her head, 'no' to him.

He wrapped his shirt around his neck, hoping to keep it dry as he moved to drag her out of the water. She raised her arm and the ocean obeyed, sending a wave as high as him crashing down on his head. When he stood back up, it had pushed him back away from her and he was coughing out salty water. He tried again and she sent another wave.

He stood still watching her, trying to figure it all out, so she gave him a little clue. She lifted up her hand, flat as if to raise a plate above her head. A wave rose underneath him, pushing his feet off the sandy bottom. Then she lowered her hand and the water. His face showed it all clinking together. He looked at the moon and back at her face. She watched as his mind put it together, laughing at his startled face.

"The Moon. The Moon controls the tides, the waves. And it's a full moon…"

And he finally got it. He cursed and moved slowly towards her, learning his lesson from before, "Selene, what have you done with Usagi?"

She laughed, "Silly boy, she is here with me! We are just enjoying the full Moon."

"Okay…" he was talking to her like he was 'handling' her and she did not appreciate it.

She swam away from him, letting herself float on top of the water once again. The Moon filled her with energy making her skin shine and glow just like the Moon itself.

This Mamo-chan stood close by, probably making sure she didn't drown, not like she could. The water was hers, it belonged to her and the Moon. She made the water push him away from her, not liking his closeness at the moment. Usagi, fussed at her, telling her he was okay. She didn't agree but if Usagi liked him, so should she.

Mamo-chan cursed as the wave pushed him back a few steps, "Come on Selene. Why don't you let Usagi go now, you've had your fun."

"Usagi-chan doesn't want me to. Poor child, she has been having a rough time. And with that nasty dark energy that was put in her…"

"Dark energy?! Usagi had dark energy put in her?!"

"Why do you think she was so sick?" she waited for him to understand but he just looked confused, "Oh I see. She didn't tell you."

Usagi didn't trust this boy. It wasn't like that Usagi pleaded. But she understood. The poor boy was frantic, he really cared for Usagi. Usagi was right, she shouldn't have told him.

"Don't worry she is strong. That is why she was sick, her body was fighting it off. Her heart was working overtime to push it all out. But, you no longer need to worry, we took care of it."

"We?"

"The Moon and I. We had been trying since last night to get her to come to us. So I had to take her myself and make her come. The ocean and the Moon are connected, and with that connection it is able to heal Usagi and lend her her powers."

"So what, you're borrowing her?"

"Hmm just for a little bit. We have always been one, I lived inside her since her birth. But stayed deep inside thriving on her beautiful soul. It has been so long since I have had a body of my own and I missed the feel of the water on my skin so much."

She saw the blush on his face in the moonlight at the mention of her naked body. ' _You want to mess with him Usagi?'_ ' _ **Go for it.'**_

She swam circles around him, flicking water on him as her feet splashed against the water, "you should try it."

He held his hands in front of his face, blocking the water, "Try what?"

Behind him now, she pulled his wet boxers down in an easy motion. Swearing, he pulled them back up quickly, "Usagi!" She looked at him expectantly, "Sorry, Selene. I'm fine the way I am, thank you."

He was pacifying her, trying to keep her calm, as if he had any reason to fear her. She rose the water underneath him again and swam underneath the deep water. She pulled off his boxers again, this time taking them with her as she swam away.

When she broke the surface, Mamo-chan was frantically looking around the dark water for them, still floating off the ground. She held them up and waved them at him. His face turned red with embarrassment and anger. She lowered him back to the ground and let the water lower more and more and more.

He put his hands over himself, dipping down into the receding waters, "Selene!"

She stopped the water's descent and laughed, "Relax Mamo-chan."

"Only Usagi calls me that."

"I am Usagi."

She swam over to him and grabbed hold, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her body pressing against his in a manner that made Usagi nervous.

He held her at arms length, "Selene, I really need to talk to Usagi now."

"I keep telling you, you are."

She pushed against his restraint and kissed him, but he held back from her. She pulled away, seeing the wanting in his eyes, "You know, there is something else I haven't been able to do in a long time."

She kissed him again, feeling his restraint begin to wane. He pulled away again, but she pulled him back, nibbling on his neck and shoulder, "Usako...don't…"

She had broken down the last of his walls. She kissed him again, this time full weight of his desire was place on her lips. His hands roamed on her body, pulling her in even closer, their bodies dancing together in the water. She felt his back, chest, stomach...He pulled away again stopping her from going any further. He began to head back to the shore, nude or not.

But she jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his body and placing her mouth at his ears, "Are you really going to leave me all alone out here?"

He seemed to forget her predicament is his haste to get out of there. She lifted and twisted her body, stealing his lips again. He responded by falling backwards back into the water, shaking her off in the process. He rolled under the water, flipping so that he could grab her up. He pulled them both out of the water and carried them to the shore.

She pushed and fought against him but once out of the water, she felt her power start to drain away. He set her down and ripped his boxers out of her hand. As he pulled them back on, she made a break for it, trying to race back to the water but he snatched her up again, pulling her legs into his arm with his other arm under her back. She kicked and bucked but he held her tight now, and the further from the water and moon they got, the weaker she felt.

Usgai woke up in a strange bed. She could tell by the dressing that she was still in the beach house, but she was not in her room. She looked around, seeing her clothes on the floor next to the bed. She wore a man's t-shirt but nothing else.

She tired to get up but a man's arm laid over her stomach, holding her in place. Fear gripped her but released her when she looked over and saw a familiar head of black hair belonging to the arm. He was naked, at least to his waist, a sheet covered him the rest of the way. He was laying on his stomach with his face in the other direction, making it impossible to see it from where she was.

She gently went to work freeing herself from his grasp when he moaned, "No...no more...No more Ocean, no more beach. Just sit still Selene."

She was confused, but more hurt that Mamoru said another girl's name, "Who is Selene?"

He sprung up quickly, looking at her as she remained lying on the bed pissed, "Oh thank God Usagi, it's you."

"What are you talking about, of course it's me!"

"You don't remember?"

She looked around again at their clothes on the floor, worry filling her up, "Remember what exactly?"

"Last night? The full moon? The Ocean? Selene? The goddess of the moon?"

Like a movie on fast forward, it all came back, she could feel her whole body turn red, "You remember huh?" he said with a laugh.

She jumped out of the bed and began putting on her panties and shorts, "Did we….did we do anything?"

One look told her that she was crazy to think of such a thing, "Okay well I just had to ask."

"I wouldn't do that to you, you were moon drunk. You don't remember that part? After I got you back into the house and finally got something on you, you spent the rest of the night trying to sneak back to the water. I had hold you down all night!"

She took a closer look at his eyes. They were red and puffy from his lack of sleep, "I'm sorry."

The threw the cover off of him and swung his legs over the side of the bed, she blushed and averted her eyes till she realized that he had boxers on.

He pulled on a t-shirt and shorts before he turned to her again, "Selene said you had Dark energy in you."

"She did?"

"She said it was why you were sick. Something you also lied about."

She blanched, having been caught, "I didn't want you guys to worry."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and sighed, "We will talk about it later. Right now we need to figure out how you got that dark energy inside you."

"I started feeling bad at the party."

He left the room and headed downstairs. She followed close behind not sure what he was about to do.

He opened the back door and she grabbed him, stopping him from leaving, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go beat the truth out of Gabriel, that's what I'm doing."

She yanked hard pulling him back into the house, "No! Even if he is the enemy, which is just crazy, then we need to be smart about it. We don't need to fly off the handle and let him know we are on to him. What if he is just a pawn? Our only source to the enemy? He could be invaluable to stopping them but only if he thinks we aren't on to him and he is breathing!"

He listened, taking her words to heart, before pulling away from her, "Nope. Still going to kill him."

"Mamo-chan! You can't! You don't even know if he's involved, he could just be an innocent human!" She had latched onto his arm but he just dragged her along.

"There is nothing innocent about that guy."

"I mean he may not have anything to do with the enemy."

He turned on her, now both of them firmly in the sand, the sun just rising to warm them, "Can you honestly tell me you sense nothing off of that guy?"

"Well yes, but I thought it was just nerves."  
"Nerves?" he took a step back from her, "So you do have feeling for him?"

"No it's not like that.." he was already walking away from her towards Gabriel's house.

"Mamo-chan stop!"

He froze. Just like she had when he told he to the other night. They had that power over each other. She moved to stand in front of him, but he wouldn't look her in the eyes, "Let's talk it over with the girls, come up with a plan." He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted like an angry child, "This is not like you, Mamoru, to be so thoughtless."

When he still didn't look at her, she walked away from him, only to have his hand reach out and grab her arm gently, stopping her from leaving him to pout alone.

"I'm sorry Usako. When it comes to you I don't always think..clearly."

"No kidding."

"I just want you to be happy. So, if you like this guy, then I hope he isn't involved with the enemy for your sake."

She looked at him, he wasn't even hiding his sadness from her. She took his face in her hands, "You are an idiot, you know that right?" he looked at her, his sad face unchanging, "How could I have any feelings for him? I'm in love with you."

She closed the small gap between them, their lips searing together instantly. He gathered her up in his arms, holding on to her like she might soon disappear.

But then, he suddenly pulled away, "Usako, we can't."

"Yes we can." And she pulled him back to her capturing his lips again.

He pulled away again a few second later, "No we can't. It's too risky."

"But it is not your risk to take!" She tried to pull him in again but this time he resisted, "I choose you Mamo-chan. I want to be with you, no one else," he released his hold on her but she held on, because her life did depend on it.

"Usako, you are killing me."

"I think I'm the one getting killed."

"That's not funny." His face and voice was very serious.

But she still couldn't help but laugh. He pulled away from her, giving her his final answer, "Why can't you see, this it just the enemy messing with your head Mamo-chan. You know as well as I do that we are both more powerful together."

"It doesn't matter who is doing it. Usagi if you saw these dreams...whoever is doing it, I'm not going to try and call their bluff."

"So you are just going to sit and take it? Forcing us both to suffer in silence?"

"I have been doing everything I can to protect you and figure out who is behind it, but you are not making it easy for me."

"I guess I'm just not as willing to give up on us as you are."

"That's not fair."

A silence fell between them. Whoever was sending him those dreams, their plan was working. It was tearing them apart.

Minako watched them walk back in together, "Just where have you two been?" she asked with a wink. But her smile quickly faded when she saw their faces, looking to Mamoru, "Seriously, you still haven't figured it out yet?"

Mamoru walked past her, "Not now Minako."

"Where's Chibi-usa?'

"She's still asleep."

"Good. We need a Senshi meeting now."

She and Mamoru filled the girls in on the details. About her dose of dark energy and about it coming from Gabriel's house. They managed to leave out the 'gory' details, just making it sound more like a vision instead of a full on possession. And the skinning dipping.

Makoto jumped up, ready for action, "Well let's get over there then and check the place out!"

Ami interjected, "What about Chibi-usa?"

She stood, taking command, "Ami, Minako, you stay here, someone should be here when Chibi-usa wakes up. We can use the party as an excuse, saying we left something. You weren't there anyways Ami so it will seem less like we are ganging up on him," she turned to Rei and Makoto, "I will distract him while you guys look around for the 'lost item'. Mamoru, you will stay outside in case we need back up."

"Outside?!" he was pissed.

She gave him her best 'don't mess with me look', "I need level headed people in there, are you telling me you can honestly keep your cool in there?" He was silent, "Okay then, wait outside!"

She turned back to Rei and Makoto who were already reading themselves for battle, "Guys, we are there for information, not to fight. Remember, we need him to think we know nothing."

"We could always beat it out of him." This time, everyone gave Mamoru a look.

She went to the door, thinking what she would say to Gabriel once they were inside, when Minako stopped her, "Are you gonna go dressed like that?"

She looked down. She was still wearing Mamoru's shirt and not much else, "Crap."

After throwing on a pair of capris and russling a bra on, she tucked in one side of Mamoru's oversized shirt and slid on her flip flops. She rolled the sleeves on the shirt up so it was 'sleeveless' and then piled her hair on top of her head so its new length wouldn't be that obvious.

Now ready to go, she made her way to the door once more only to have Minako in her ear again, "Is that what your going to wear?"

She didn't have time for this. They needed to find out what they could from Gabriel about all the party goers and his friends. She joined the small team on the deck and they took off, towards Gabriel's place once more.

They made it in record time to Gabriel's private boardwalk and her nerves began to act up. Stopping in front of her, Makoto and Rei turned to check on her.

"You sure you're up for this?" Rei asked.

She really wasn't sure, "Have to be."

After, once again, convincing Mamoru to stay outside, they made their way up to the door. Usagi knocked and they waited….and waited. They looked around the place, looking in any windows they could. But the place was empty. Gabriel had already left.

The small group entered, defeated, the beach house.

Ami greeted them, "Well that was fast."

Minako soon re-entered the living room, "What happened?"

Rei shrugged, "The guy has already left town."

Makoto slumped down in the closest chair, "Now what do we do? That guy was our closest lead!"

"Maybe we could wait till he shows up at the cafe?" Minako asked.

Ami quickly squashed that, "We can't just wait around, the guy has sporadic visits and if he sees any of us he will clam up or not even come in. Last time he came in and I was there he couldn't get out of there fast enough!"

Mamoru looked over at her, "And yet, you still let Usagi agree to date him?"

Ami put up her hands in defense, "Hey I didn't know until you did!"

"Guys, guys," Minako interrupted the possible fight that was about to start, "Come on. We need to work together and come up with a plan.

Everyone was silent for a minute in quiet contemplation, but to her, it was clear.

She sighed, gaining everyone's attention, "Well guys, it looks I have a date to go to on Thursday."


	13. Chapter 13

Lucky Chapter 13. Really wishing I had posted this Friday. Sorry for the late post, a combination of a family beach trip and being on a writing roll. This chapter is nice and fleshy though, feels longer than it is. I will probably post again soon, since this one is a bit of a cliffhanger. Ta ta for now lovelies!

 **Chapter 13**

" _It is my observations, though, that happiness limits the amount of suffering one is willing to inflict upon others"_

― _**Jacqueline Carey**_ _,_ _ **Kushiel's Dart**_

Even with a week filled with nothing other than work and training, it still went by too fast for Usagi. It seemed to be Thursday before she knew it.

It was summer break but it didn't feel like it to her. It was still filled with stress and work. To make things worse, Mamoru still insisted on keeping his distance which meant he had been radio silence since they left the beach. It was probably better this way, he wasn't thrilled with the plan she and the girls had come up with.

It was pretty simple. Go on the date with Gabriel, get him to talk, and the girls would be following close by in case anything went pear shaped. Simple. Except for the part where she had to manipulate Gabriel. She was not the savviest of talkers or flirters for that matter.

She really had no idea how she was going to get him to tell her anything.

The only good thing about break was that, most days she got to sleep in. This was one of those days. She rolled over to see her clock said 9 am. Not bothering to change out of her PJs, she headed down to the kitchen at a leisurely pace. Yukio was at work and Shingo was at a science camp all week, she had the place to herself.

She found Yukio's old sound system. It was called a boom box, which was in red lettering across the top. It took cds and tapes, neither of which she had. But it also had and AUX port and Yukio had the adaptor cord allowing her to plug in her phone and use the music she had on there.

She plugged her phone in, hit random play, and turned the volume all the way up. The music vibrated through the walls and she let herself get lost in it as much as she could. She ate a small bowl of cereal and a glass of juice, unable to eat much more.

She washed her dishes and headed back up to her room. Luna lay irritated on her bed. She also didn't like their plan and refused to go along with it. She stuck her tongue out at the sour puss and left for the shower.

When she came back, Luna was gone. She really hadn't seen that skinny cat a lot lately. But I guess that's what happens when your cat gets a boyfriend. Minako's place was closer to Central anyways.

She pulled on a green skirt with little white flowers on it. It had buttons going down the front and it stopped mid-thigh, flowing loosely against her skin. She pulled a light pink blouse on top, with ¾ inch sleeve and a square neckline. The skirt was nice and flowy while the top was tight. She pulled on a pair of white gladiator sandals and quickly put her hair up in her old style.

She took the top off her car and borrowed Yukio's AUX cord so she could continue to play her music.

The drive was too short from her Aunt's to the temple. She sat in her car for a few minutes, letting the song finish before she got out. Once she made it to the top of the temple, she found herself alone. No one else was there. Was she early?

She glanced down at her watch and saw she wasn't early, she was late! She ran the rest of the way to the training ground.

After a good tongue lashing from Rei, she finally got to start training. The girls had really improved since gaining their new power.

Jupiter grew a small but powerful amount of electricity her way. She deftly dodged it, landing on her feet, which was impressive on its own for her. She moved swiftly along the forest floor, swerving around tree bases. She sensed her on here right before she could see her. Venus' chain flew through the air, its hot magic metal inches from grabbing her arm, but she pivoted, flinging herself into the air in a sideways spin.

She passed Mercury and Mars who where in the midst of an intense looking battle one on one. So she kept moving. Jupiter was still on her tail and Venus was close behind. The two had decided to team up against her it seemed. She decided it was time to stop holding back and turned around, running towards the duo instead of away from them. They sensed her coming but not fast enough.

Catching Jupiter first, kicking a leg out from under her, causing her to eat the ground. With Venus, she planted her palm into her stomach, sending her back into a tree. But they got her back. Venus got her chain around her, wrapping her up from chest to hip in the hot metal. Then Jupiter her her with some of her lightening, enough to cause her hair to stand on end.

She let out a scream and the two freaked out, instantly releasing her, "You two are too easy."

She blasted them both backwards.

The girls went on pairing up again. She busied herself washing the cut she managed to get somehow, on her calf. Probably while running through the woods.

She had known he was there for a while. Her senses are heightened ten fold when she was Sailor Moon. But she thought she would let him decide when to come out. She was pretty sure she knew why he was there too and she really didn't want to hear it. He was busy watching the Senshi at the time. The girls were going at it pretty hard, it was hard not to watch.

The cut strung as the water washed over it. But it healed away to nothing before her very eyes, her speedy healing taking care of it.

She couldn't take it anymore, the waiting, so she walked over to where he was 'hiding'. He wasn't surprised when she showed up next to him, he knew his presences was known.

"They are pretty impressive aren't they?"

He kept his eyes on the Senshi as they moved so fast at times they were hard to see, "You've got a good team."

He turned to her now, "They pull their punches with you though."

She sighed, this wasn't news to her, "Then maybe you want to give me a proper bout?"

He didn't even think about it, he swung his cane at her, trying to catch her off guard. She flipped back, dodging the end of the cane narrowly, sliding to a stop a foot away. She stood and clapped the dust off her gloves.

"Nice try. You almost got me. But it won't be that easy." She goaded him.

"Let's make this interesting shall we?" he removed his hat and cape, "if I win, you blow off your date with Gabriel and we find another way to get information out of him."

She put her hands on her hips. She had to give him props for keeping it fresh instead of the same old same old 'please don't go' bit, "and if I win?"  
"Ladies' choice."

She gave it a thought but not for long, "If I win, you have to spend the night with me tonight."

"You must not have much confidence in your date tonight, if you are already planning a randevu with another man."

"Do we have a deal?"

The girls had stopped at this point and took seats to the show, "It's a deal. No holding back!"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, he came at her again. He was fast, pinning her against a tree in seconds.

"Hmm you must really not want to go on your date tonight."

With a roar of her might she flung him off of her. Using the tree, she pushed off it's base, flying towards him, her scepter in her hands. His cane blocked her scepter, holding her midair for a few seconds from the sheer force of their blow. Before her feet hit the ground, he pushed his cane against her scepter, the force of it sent her flying back. She skid to a stop a few feet away, but she was on the move as soon as she gained her footing again.

A few roses went flying past her head until one caught her cheek. Blood dripped down her face, but she didn't have time to wipe it away. She moved serpentine closer to him before hitting him with a blast from her scepter, sending him flying into a tree, hard.

They both took a moment, slowly circling each other like a fight in an old western. He dropped his cane and so she dropped her scepter in an unspoken agreement. It would be strength and power from them, not an amplifier.

Wiping her face, the blood stained her glove. He wiped his mouth, blood staining his gloves as well. They each took off their gloves and he removed his jacket as well. The girls, getting really into it, started to call out words of encouragement to her.

Time was up, they both stopped and barreled towards one another, catching each other in the middle. Hand against hand, eyes on eyes, strength matching strength. They both struggled to keep from being overpowered by one another.

In one swift move, he removed his hand from hers and put his fist into her gut. But he wasn't done, he added a blast of energy as well. She flew through the air, barely landing on her feet. He chased after her, not letting up, not giving her a chance to catch her breath.

He held her up by her neck, her feet dangling above the ground, But he didn't squeeze or cut off her air in any way.

She laughed at him, "I thought you said no holding back."

He didn't answer her, which was answer enough, he didn't want to kill her. Her hands were on either side of his hand that held her throat. She had to buy herself some time, to distract him at least a little.

"I think I'm going to wear my old sleep shirt to bed tonight. You know the one, it's see through?"

He blanched and she moved. She put her hands on his arm, using it as fulkrum, swinging her legs back and forth, upwards and into his face.

He released her and fell backwards, but rolled out of it so he was back on his feet by the time she was on hers.

He looked up from his place on the ground with a mischievous smile on his face, "I kind of hoped you'd just sleep naked."

She blushed and he ran. He had twisted it around on her and gotten the advantage. He was almost on her when she got her wits about her. She turned and did her best to get out of there. But he had gotten too big of a lead and was on her heels. She ran straight for a huge tree and ran straight up it, using it to defy gravity, then when she was over his head, flipping over him and landing behind him.

She landed more gracefully than even she expected. He looked a little stunned himself. She took too long congratulating herself and he was almost on her again. She turned hightail away.

She could hear him call out his attack behind her, the energy of it hit her squarely in the back sending her flying a few feet before landing on her knees hard. Her back burned and her knees too.

He stood over her, showing no sign of weakness or regret, "Look at the bright side Usako. You didn't want to go on this date anyways. Looks like you will be spending the night alone."

A fire lit inside her. She was pissed and her energy flared inside her. She grabbed his ankles and pulled them out from under him causing him to fall flat on his back. She leap frogged onto his chest, her knees on his arms she sat on his chest.

"If you don't want to spend the night with me, maybe Gabriel will?"

Bad idea. He sat up, even with her entire weight on him, he did a massive crunch that threw her back on her ass. The angry fire in his eyes was impossible to miss now as well.

The girls seemed to sense the reality of the situation and starting asking them to stop. But pride was on the line now. There was no stopping them now.

Both of their energies flared within them. Matching one another in strength. She took off to her right, break neck speed and he followed, throwing energy at her as she moved, narrowly missing each time. She ran deeper into the forest. While she ran along the ground, he bounded from the trees. It was a mistake to take him into the woods, the high branches gave him an advantage. She moved to head back out of the woods, but a particularly large blast of energy landed in front of her, stopping her. He wanted to keep them here.

She ran back towards the open field that was their starting ground. Removing her tiara, she waited till she felt his energy surg. Just before he could throw another blast at her, she turned, flinging her tiara in the process. It sliced through the branch he was on like a hot knife through butter. But he managed to grab a limb above him before he came crashing down with it.

Her tiara returned to her and while he still dangled, she sent it flying again, this time slicing the whole tree.

It fell away from her, "TIMBERRRR!"

He looked at her, irritated before he leaped out of the now falling tree. It landed with a sick crunch on the ground. All of this had bought her enough time to make it back to the clearing where she waiting for him to meet her there.

The ground below her began to shake, and to her great fear, split apart beneath her feet. She may control the Ocean, but he controlled the Earth. She jumped up out of the way before it crumbled beneath her. The ground shifted again, this time rising and pushing upwards, taking her with it. She was only a few feet above the rest of the ground but it was still an impressive show of power and blinded her in a cloud of dust.

Two feet found her chest and kicked her hard, sending her flying through the air only land on her ass again. The wind knocked out of her, she choked and coughed, hoping to regain her breath quickly.

He stalked over to her and she rose up on shaky legs but refused to back down. The girls were freaking out, begging them to stop, but their words fell on deaf ears. His cocky grin was back and he walked over to her like he had already won.

"It's okay if you want to give up. I won't think any less of you, you have done a really good job. You should be impressed. I am."

She laughed, it was dark and deep due to her lack of breath in her lungs, "I have a confession to make," he lost his cocky grin, "I've been holding back."

Her golden ribbons exploded from her and she flew at him, picking him off his feet and sending him flying again. He hit a tree behind him and it exploded from the force of his impact. He went through another tree and another till he finally stopped on the third one.

Everyone was silent. She walked slowly and purposefully over to him, giving him time to recover and think over his options. She found him sitting in front of the last tree he hit. He was sprawled out underneath it and breathing heavily. His hands laid next to his legs, lifeless. But she wasn't afraid, she knew he was still alive.

She got down on her knees and pulled his face up with her finger under his chin. His eyes a little glassy, still managed to find hers. Her ribbons still wrapped and coiled around her, lighting up his face in the dark shade of the trees.

"Oh look, a beautiful angel has come to take me away." His voice, sounding half drunk.

"Time to give up."

"Do you really want to go through with this crazy plan this badly?"

"Nope," she leaned in closer to his face, taking a deep breath and letting the adrenaline embolden her, "I just want you in my bed that badly."

She kissed him, but it wasn't a romantic kiss. She held him to her letting her power move and grow within him until her ribbons of gold encircled him as well. It was different than when she awoke the powers in her Senshi. She was sharing her power with him, giving him what she could.

The deed done, she pulled away, his eyes now clear and piercing, "There. Now we are equals."

"What did you do?" He felt the power that now bubbled within him and he looked...mad, "What are you thinking Usagi?"

"I was thinking you would be grateful."  
"Grateful?! Grateful that you sacrificed some of your power to me?"

"Well….yeah…"

"You make yourself weaker, by choice, and you expect me to be happy about it?"

"I didn't weaken myself much, give yourself some credit. You weren't that much weaker than me."

He stood now, towering over her, "It doesn't matter how much or how little, you weakening yourself to make me stronger is why we shouldn't be together."

"Excuse me?!"

"The dreams warned me this would happen. That you would be weakened by me and it would cost your life."

"Then it would seem it is envedable now."

"It just proves that we cannot be together."

"Are you...going back on our agreement?!"

"I just don't think it's safe for you Usagi. Clearly we were kidding ourselves, thinking we could be together even for a night."

She had never been so mad at him before in her life, "You were never going to go through with it were you?" He remained silent, answering her, "You lied. Why? Why would you even need to?"

"You needed motivation."

"That is crap!"

"Now you know what it feels like to be lied to."

Her jaw dropped, she picked it up quickly, "Is that what this is about? To teach me some kind of lesson?"

She didn't wait for an answer, she turned and walked away from him, "Where are you going?"

"You know Mamoru, when I lied it was to protect the ones I loved from unnecessary pain. Not to cause it."

Her tears burned as they slid down her cheeks but she didn't stop to wipe them. She had to get away from him and for the first time since they had met, he let her go.

With an hour to spear, she was ready for her 'date'. There was one last thing she had to do. She took her hair down, grabbed the scissors, and cut it as close to where she did the last time as she could remember. She took the remaining hair, pulled it over her shoulder and braided it.

She wore what she came in, feeling it was more than good enough for her 'date', Minako gave that look though. But she remained silent.

She was feeling even less up for this date now. After what Mamoru just pulled on her. She had hoped to have something to look forward to after she completed the mission but now she had nothing, again.

Usagi did her best to push those thoughts from her mind, even though her heart was another story. Ami handed her a small, flesh colored, oddly formed ball and she gave her a confused look.

"It goes in your ear Usagi-chan," she said with a smile, "so we can communicate with you."

"Oh. I thought we would just use our comms?"  
"This is a bit more discrete."

"Yeah it's like spyware!" Makoto swung an arm over her shoulders.

"And we will be close by the whole time." Minako added.

Rei stood before her, "And if he gets fresh, I'll fry him!"

She looked around at her friends. Knowing she had their support made her feel worlds better about tonight.

Minako took her hand, "Now just remember to smile and laugh at all his jokes no matter how bad they are. Do that and he will be putty in your hands."

They headed out, with her at the back of the group. When they reached the temple stairs, they turned and looked at her. Confused, she looked ahead of them to see Mamoru leaning up against the temple entrance, waiting for her.

"We'll give you two a minute." Rei said as she and Ami pushed Minako and Makoto past Mamoru and down the stairs.

She did not feel like talking to him, sure that he just wanted to express his disdain for the plan one more time.

"I'm sorry."

She was so surprised she almost fell down the steps. He had to grab her arm and steady her before he could continue.

"I'm sorry I lied to you. It seems like no matter how hard I try, the dreams keep coming true," he looked into her eyes, "that's why I don't want you to go through with this plan."

"Why? Do your dreams say I fail?"

"They say we do. Your Senshi and I."

"Well then, I'd better hurry up and figure out this enemy don't you think? The longer we sit in the dark the easier it will be for them to attack us blind," she put a hand on his face, "don't you see? I have to do this. I am your leader and I love you all too much to lose any of you. I have to do this so we can stop this Dark Moon."

Her mind swam for a second. Something from her memories, like dejavu, but it kept slipping from her grasp. It was important, she could tell that much. What was it? And why couldn't she get to it? She had never had problems remembering every detail of her dreams from the Moon Kingdom. It felt strange like something was pulling it on a string, getting her to chase it like a cat, never to let her have it.

"Are you okay?"

Mamoru was looking at her strangely. She must have been making a face, "I'm fine, it's nothing," his look intensified into disbelief and frustration, "I just had a little dejavu that's all."

She walked away, wanted to get the night over and done with, when Mamoru followed, "And where are you going?"

"I'm coming with you guys."

She turned putting a finger in his face, "Oh no you're not!"

"It's not up for debate Usagi."

"What about Chibi-usa? Don't you need to watch her?"

"She is at that science camp with Shingo. Has been all week. They are in the middle of nowhere with some of the highest security protocolos I have ever seen for a kids' camp. Trust me, I looked into it before your Aunt signed up Shingo. If anything happens, we will know about it before it is too late."

She moved quickly down the stairs as if she could lose him, "No way the girls agreed to this!"

Ami gave her a shrug, "We need all the help we can get Usagi-chan, sorry."

Makoto gave Mamoru a stern look, "But he is on strict orders to stay with Ami in the van and keep his comments to a minimum."

He gave her a shrug and looked away from her glare.

Mamoru and Ami loaded into the van Ami borrowed from her Mom's lab. It was used to transport medical supplies and equipment to and from the hospital. She had no idea how Ami convinced her mom or the hospital to let her use it, probably based on her merit alone, but with its blacked out windows, it was a perfect survalance van.

Ami and Mamoru looked ridiculous in it though. They both put on dark colored baseball caps and shades. It was hard not to laugh at the two of them as they sat in the front seats like they were undercover cops. The rest of the girls climbed in the back. They would be tailing her more closely, following them into the restaurant or where ever he ended up taking them.

She hopped in her car parked in front of the van and pulled away from the temple. On her way with dread filling up her belly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

" _Fire tests gold, suffering tests brave men."_

― _**Seneca**_

It was 7:20 and Gabriel was a no show. She stood, leaning against the side of the cafe. The van that held everyone else sat parked several feet away. She could barely see them but she knew they were there.

She looked around, seeing that no one was around, "It looks like I've been stood up you guys."

Part of her was glad but the other part was miffed. How she done something to make him lose interest? Or had he been clued into their plans? Had she messed it all up somehow?

She pushed herself off the wall just as a motorcycle pulled up in front of cafe. Its loud rumbling hurt her ears, being so close. The driver, who had a tinted helmet on, swung his leg over and got off the bike with grace and confidence, and walked up to her.

His voice was muffled through the helmet when he spoke, "Hey beautiful."

He lifted the visor, revealing himself to her. It was Gabriel. Her emotions where a wash on where she was happy to not have been stood up or not. He wore a purple heather hendley shirt with short sleeves and white, loose linen pants. He was an attractive man, but he still made her uneasy. And not in the fun way that Mamoru did.

"Please forgive me for my tardiness. I had another pressing matter to come up. It had to be taken care of immediately."

" _Who talks like that?"_

They all 'shh'ed him in a deafening manner. Minako took over the intercom, " _Just be confident Usagi. Don't let him off so easy for making you wait!"_

"I was about to think you were standing me up. It's not very nice to make a girl wait you know."

"Well thank you for waiting. Shall we go?"

He held a helmet out for her but she hesitated, "I promise, I am the safest of drivers. I won't let any harm come to you."

She took the helmet slowly. He mounted the bike and then patted the seat behind him for her to sit. She put on the helmet then carefully sat on the back of the bike, making sure her skirt was secure.

He started up the bike and it rumbled to life underneath them, "I'm going to need you to hold on pretty tight."

With shaky hands, she wrapped her arms around his waist to which he just laughed and grabbed her hand, "A bit tighter than that," and pulled her in closer, her chest firmly against his back now.

A growl came over the comms followed by more hushing. As close as she was to him now, she feared he would hear it.

He sped off and she had to trust that the others were close behind. She didn't dare to move for fear of knocking him off balance and both of them onto the fastly moving pavement below. He weaved through traffic only making her grip him tighter. She could just make out his chuckle over the sound of the engine and the air in her ears. If there was anything said on the comms at this point, she did not hear it.

Her only solace, while he weaved and bobbed by all the cars, was that her wrist comm had GPS in case any of them ever got lost or taken. Even if he did manage to lose the convoy behind them, they could find them again in relatively high speed.

When he finally came to a stop, she wasn't sure where they were but she knew it was downtown Jubban. The building they stood before was made of brick and had no windows that she could see save for the front door but that glass was tinted black, impossible to see through.

She took off the helmet and adjusted her hair and outfit while he did the same. He offered his arm to her and she took it, allowing to be led inside.

As soon as they stepped through the door, the music could be heard blasting through the walls. The loud thumping of the bass vibrated the floor. But when they walked through yet another door she could hear the off key singing of an older man. He stood at the mike in his suit and tie although his tie was awfully loose. He had a drink in his hand that was clearly what emboldened himself into getting up there in the first place.

It was a Karaoke bar.

"What do you think?" He asked her, bringing her out of her inspection.

She shrugged, "I've never been to a karaoke bar before."

" _What?" "Why didn't you tell us Usagi-chan?" "I can't believe you have never been to one." "We would have taken you!"_

Minako, Makoto, and Rei went off until Ami hushed them all again. Gabriel looked just as surprised, "I just never...got around to it I guess."

The truth was, the idea of getting up and singing in front of other people never interested her much. She enjoyed singing for her family but with her parents gone, she had a hard time finding the urge.

He led her to a table in the middle of the room of tables and bodies. The lighting was dark, making the stage stand out even more. It had colored lights that swirled in and out while a huge screen stood behind it, flashing videos and the words to the songs. The bar to her left was lit from behind with row after row of alcohols lined up on glass shelves. Along the walls were booths with people slumped over each other, talking and laughing as they sipped their brightly colored drinks before them.

A waitress swung by their table and took their drink orders and quickly disappeared. The man on stage was almost done butchering a song by Journey, a popular karaoke band she was sure.

Gabriel leaned in to be heard, "I hope this is okay. You look like the kind of person who would love this place."

It wasn't too bad, at least it wasn't some dimly lit romantic setting.

She shrugged, "It's alright."

"So what do I have to do to get you up there?"

She froze. She was going to have to sing for her supper it seemed, "Oh I don't know…"

"Oh come on, live a little," she didn't want to tell him but she had technically lived twice already, "I'll go first."

She tried to drag him back down to his seat, but he got away and headed up to the sign in booth.

"Ug..he's going to make me sing."

" _It's okay Usagi-chan. Just keep cool. Showing him a vulnerable side like this may help him to open up later. He is trying to make a connection with you, let him think he has."_

Minako's words were comforting. She looked over, finding her sitting at the bar watching her, but she had thrown on a short brown wig which caused her to snort.

" _What? You don't like it?"_

"Has Gabriel even seen you before Minako?"

" _We are all being extra cautious."_

She searched the crowd, finding Rei at the back in a booth with Matoko. Rei had on a short blonde wig while Makoto wore a long red one.

She turned herself back towards the stage, "Yeah well now you guys don't stand out at all!"

" _Shhh Usagi, he is coming back!"_

"So I signed us both up. You go right after me."

He had brought the huge book full of songs they had to choose from. He picked some Michael Buble song, typical. While she continued to look.

Their drinks were set in front of them while a woman warbled through the microphone. She was pretty sure it was a Prince song she was singing but it was hard to tell through her drunken slurring on the lyrics.

A plate of steaming food was set in front of her. Gabriel had taken upon himself to order for her which annoyed her to no end.

"I hope you don't mind, I ordered for you."

Lie. Lie through your teeth, "Oh thank you, how thoughtful."

The snickers were heard from the entire crew. She, unthinking, hushed them, but Gabriel didn't seem to notice.

Gabriel's name was called over the loudspeaker. Meaning she was next and she still hadn't picked a song.

"I have no idea what to sing."

" _Just pick something."_ Rei, ever the helpful one.

" _Yeah I mean, I'm sure whatever you pick it will be great."_ At least Makoto was nice about it.

" _Don't be nervous. Princess Serenity was a great singer. I'm sure you have at least some of that too!"_ Minako added.

"I'm not nervous. I just don't like being treated like a songbird, singing on command."

A deep laugh came over the comm, " _Where have I heard that before?"_

She had almost forgotten he was there, he had been doing as promised and keeping his mouth shut. She glanced back down at the list, Gabriel was almost done with his song. At the last second, she found it. The perfect song.

She told her choice to the DJ before stepping on the stage. The music began. She realised it was probably a bit cliche, singing Adele in a karaoke bar. But with Mamoru listening, she couldn't resist. The song was "Water Under the Bridge". As soon as she started singing, the whole bar went dead silent.

Even the comms were silent but that was probably due to them not wanting to throw her off.

The karaoke version was in a slightly different key, to make it easier for others to sing it, but she adjusted quickly and with ease. Knowing the lyrics by heart, she kept her eyes out over the crowd, doing more like a performance than karaoke, and it seemed as though they were all enthralled in her song.

She finished and the crowd erupted in applause, which she might have found encouraging if half of them weren't drunk. She saw Makoto, Rei and Minako stand and applaud her, just barely being able to hear them over the loud crowd.

" _Wow!", "See, I knew you had it!", "You should be famous!"_

Many asked for an encore but like she said before, she did not take request. She just wanted to get back to her seat and blend back in with the crowd. Gabriel was also standing when she returned, pulling her chair out of her to sit. Her partially eaten plate of food sat forgotten.

"That was amazing. I knew you were a singer."

"Okay Gabriel, let's get down to business. Tell me about yourself."

Oh..uh...okay. What would you like to know?"

"Uh I don't know. What kind of people do you hang out with?"

" _Real subtle Usagi-chan."_

He gave her a confused look, "I guess I hang out with the normal kind of people."

"I'm sorry, was that a weird question? I've never really dated before."

" _Good save!"_

"It's not the weirdest thing I've ever been asked."

"I'm only asking cause, you had that big party and there were so many people there. Did you know all of them?"

He shrugged, "No not all of them."

She channeled Minako, going for cute, "Oh darn. My friend Minako swears she fell in love at your party but lost the guy's name and number."

He smiled, "I could try and help you find him. What was his name?"

"Oh uh, she doesn't remember. You wouldn't be able to get me a list of names and number of people that were there would you?"

" _So close and yet…."_

He looked confused again, she scrambled to cover herself, "Oh I'm sorry if I'm being pushy. But if you knew my friend Minako you would understand. She is just heartbroken, swears she lost her soulmate." She laughed and he laughed with her.

"I know the type. She was that blonde friend of yours right? I think I saw a few guys look her way that night. I can see if one of them was the guy?"

" _This isn't working Usagi."_

"Oh she would just be so embarrassed if they knew she lost their number and then went looking for him. She is hoping to just pretend she took a while to call."

"I get that. I'll get you a list."

Well that was at least getting them closer.

" _Smooth Usagi, but it's not enough. Get him talking more. Maybe get some drinks in him!"_

" _Minako, he drove. We are not going to get him drunk!"_

" _I didn't say drunk Rei...just maybe a little tipsy."_

" _NO!"_ They all screamed into the comms, making her flinch.

"Are you okay?"

"Me? Oh yeah, I'm just...a bit cold that's all."

"You want to get out of here?"

"Okay…"

They walked out, realizing just how loud it was once they were outside again. The air was fresh and clean, no longer filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol. The sun was just starting to set when he walked her back over to the bike and handed her the helmet.

"So where do you want to go now? We could go see a movie?"

Hmmm, dark room, close proximity, and no talking. Nope definitely not.

"How about the park? We could walk from here?"

It wa perfect. Plenty of other people around, light for at least another hour, and it kept her off the bike for a little bit longer.

"Oh, uh, okay."

He set the bike and helmets back down. She didn't know exactly where they were but she knew there was a park around this area. Gabriel seemed to know the way, taking the lead. She did her best to walk beside him but his legs were longer and he wasn't really trying either.

Crowds of people walked with and against them, making conversation impossible, as she was too busy dodging bodies. But they reached a park soon, and it was lovely. The cherry blossoms were gone, but beautiful flowers of all different colors, shapes, and smells took their place. It was a small park, being sandwiched between buildings, but it was still a nice walk.

Gabriel pointed up to a building next to them, "That's where I work."

It was a large building going up and up till she lost it in the sun, "Wow. What do you do there?"

"Stock market."

He said it like it was no big deal, that he didn't just admit to being super wealthy and entitled.

"Oh so you're rich."

" _Usagi!"_

But he laughed, "I guess you could say that."

"Then I guess you can afford to get us some ice cream? Chocolate please."

"Two ice creams, coming up."

As soon as he was out of ear shot, she looked around for the others, "Oh my gosh this is so awkward. Is this normal? Is it supposed to be this uncomfortable?"

" _Not if you actually like who you are with."_

" _MAMORU!"_

"Can you guys stop doing that."

" _Look, you are doing fine. He seems to be having a good time. Now just ask him more questions. Work it out of him slowly."_

Minako wanted her to go even slower than things were going now? No thanks, she was ready for this date to be over already.

Gabriel returned with two large cones and handed her the chocolate. He had gotten some mature flavor like praline pecan, a flavor her father always got. They found a bench close by and sat to eat.

"So Gabriel, have you ever heard of the Black Moon?"

She could hear everyone gasping and sighing over the comms. But she didn't care. Gabriel was seeming more and more like your average guy to her and she was ready to bounce.

But then he choked at her question, which a normal guy wouldn't do.

"Uh, no, Are they some kind of band?"

She steeled her eyes at him, "No Gabriel. I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."

He twitched, his eyes jerking around looking for something, "I really don't."

" _Usagi-chan! Look out!"_

Something hit her hard across the back and sent her tumbling across the small open space until she smacked hard into a fence. Her vision a bit blurred, she looked up to see a huge monster. Gabriel stood next to the bench, watching it as it grew and shook.

She could see Makoto and Minako running towards her out of the corner of her eye, while Rei ran towards the beast. But she kept her eyes on Gabriel, gauging his reaction. Was he calling the beast to them?

The creature was a large plant like thing with long arms like vines swinging an swatting at people as they ran.

She turned towards Minako and Makoto, "Get the people out of here!"

They instantly changed their course and headed towards the scrambling people. She got to her feet and ran towards Gabriel, who still stood there like a statue. She tackled him, landing on top of him she looked back at the creature to see if there was any change but nothing happened. She looked back at Gabriel who was in shock.

She stood, picking Gabriel up as well, but once she got him to his feet he started yelling and screaming, "It's okay, it's okay Gabriel. I'm going to get you out of here."

" _Usagi! Where are you?"_

"I'm fine Ami, just a bit banged up. I'm going to get Gabriel to safety." She pulled Gabriel behind a short wall.

" _Usa...whe….ar….you?"_

"Ami? Ami can you hear me? Anybody?"

"They can't hear you Princess."

It hit her like a ton of bricks. It was like Gabriel had flipped a switch inside him and now he radiated dark power. She turned slowly and saw that he was far from the comatose state he had been a second ago. He stood glaring at her with a wicked smile.

She ran, pumping her legs as hard as she could, hoping to put some distance between her and the man with the evil smile, "Guys! It's Gabriel! He's the enemy, he's with the Dark Moon! Can anyone hear me?!"

He laughed darkly at her failed attempts to contact anyone, "I told you, they can't hear you."

He was right behind her. He grabbed her arm spinning her to face him. Then something opened up on his face, between his two eyes. She gasped in horror when she realised it was another eye. Something crawled up her back, onto her neck, and then up into her skull. She tried to shake it and him off, but her limbs wouldn't work. He got closer and closer but all she could see was the eye.

He began to laugh again and even in her numbness, she couldn't help but shiver, "Your all mine now, Moon rabbit."

That was the last thing she remembered before it all went black.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not dear cousin?"

"Huh?"

"Serenity are you even listening to me?"

She was back in her room in the Moon Palace. She was already in her gown for the ball, a white and gold gown with fluffy sleeves and a high waist. The silky material felt cool against her skin, which was still a bit heated from her dinner with Endymon moments ago.

Her cousin Minako was dressed and desperate to get her attention, "I asked you what happened with Prince Endymon?"

The blush that rose onto her face was all the answer she needed, "You're in love with him!"

She hugged her tightly, pushing the breath out of her lungs, "I'm so happy for you Serenity!"

"Now we just have to announce it to everyone."

"Oh but that will be the best part! Soon dear cousin, you will have all those other suitors off your back for good."

She desperately searched the crowd for Endymon. He was late. She had already had to dance twice with Ganymede and Phoebe and Phoebus each! Then, every muscle in her body tensed and her skin ran cold as Lord Diamonde made his way over to her. He bowed and asked for her hand. The music began and they took off.

He held her close, too close. His hand on her back sat low, far too close to her bottom for her liking. And she could swear she felt his fingers twitching closer every second they spun together.

"Where is Prince Endymon? I hope he doesn't miss tonight's ball."

"It's kind of you to worry. But I'm sure he just got held up."

"I hope so as well. It would be a shame if relations between the Moon and the Earth deteriorated even more."

He pulled her in even closer, putting his nose up against her neck and inhaling deep, "Hmm Princess you smell divine."

She could feel the food in her stomach begin to rise and her skin felt as if it might just jump off and crawl away from her. Which was only made worse when he spun her out, but it was a small reprieve from his touch.

Two warm arms grabbed her up before she was forced to return to Diamonde's. The smell of roses and pine relaxing her instantly, she let her head rest on his chest.

But then she slapped him lightly on the chest, "You're late."

His face was very serious, "I'm sorry but there was an incident on Earth that had to be dealt with."

Fear filled her, "An incident?"

"Apparently a small village on the coast was attacked by an unknown force."

"Unknown? The villagers couldn't identify their attackers?"  
"Serenity...all the villagers were dead."

And there is was again. A pit in her stomach threatening to spill her dinner all over the dance floor. She could feel the blood drain from her face. In the village she had seen on her visits, there had been so much happiness and life. There were women. There were children.

Her knees buckled and Endymon had to how her up while they continued to dance, "Easy there Serenity. Everything will be okay."

"Not for the people of that village it won't." The tears burned as they threatened to fall.

He squeezed her tight and kissed her hair, "Oh my little moon rabbit. What a big heart you have."

"All the better to love you with."

He gave her a gorgeous smile, forcing her to return it, but her's soon faded, "Does this mean you have to go."

His smile faltered now too, "I'm afraid so. We will be leaving tomorrow morning."

She put her head on his chest again, fearful of what it would mean for them to part now.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Let's escape."

She looked at his mischievous eyes and then around the hall, "How are we to do that exactly?" her eyes landed on Diamonde whose eyes were trained to her, waiting for his next chance, "Diamonde is not going to let me leave just like that."

He huffed, "Listen to you. He is not your master. You don't have to so anything you don't want to. He is a LORD and you are a Princess. Command him to piss off."

"I wish it were that easy."

He grabbed her chin and pulled her attention back to him, "It is that easy Serenity. Come, let's go."

He made his way through the crowd, holding firmly onto her hand as he weaved through them. Everyone that they passed gave them a look but no one tried to stop them. They made it out to the hallway just outside the ballroom without anyone saying a word.

"I didn't even know I could do that."

"That's because you are too sweet and caring Serenity. You never want to cause anyone harm, even if it's just leaving the party early."

"Serenity!"

They both turned to see Diamonde following after them. He walked briskly and she squeezed Endymon's hand even tighter. He stepped up between her and the man that made her skin crawl.

"Pardon us, Prince Endymon, but Serenity and I have not finished our dance from before."

Diamonde reached out his hand, going around Endymon, trying to grab her away from him.

But Endymon grabbed his wrist with his free hand, "How dare you address the Princess so informally."

Diamonde looked to be in shock, ripping his arm out of Endymon's grasp, "I have known Serenity all her life…"  
"And he does it again!" Endymon looked back to her, giving her a quick wink to try and calm her fear.

"It is hardly your business or concern in how I address the Princess. Who are you? Just an Earthen with a title. You are hardly worthy of a Lunar Princess."

He stepped closer to Diamonde, inches from his face, "I am your future King and she your Queen. You should choose your words wisely when you talk to us. For your future hangs in the balance with every word."

Diamonde backed down, slinking away having lost the battle, "You're right, my apologise your Highness," he looked deafed, a little hurt even. But as Endymon turn her away, she caught a look in his eyes that told her this wasn't over.

She took lead, taking him to the Lunar family's private garden. The same one she had met the girls at earlier that day telling him how much she hated him. The same one that she realized she loved him and he her.

The water from the fountain splashing was the only sound. The music from the ballroom was a faint whisper in the background. The stars shone so bright, it was easy to forget it was the middle of the night.

"No one should bother us here. Not even Diamonde."

"He won't be bothering any of us again."

"You shouldn't have told him that, that we were getting married."

"He would have heard it soon enough."

She sat on the edge of the fountain, absentmindedly skimming her fingers across the top of the water, "Yes but then it would have been official, agreed on by both Kingdoms with a date set and everything. With no way to disturb it. The sooner we have everything set, the better."

"An eger one aren't we?"

She looked up from the water to see he had on his gorgeous smile again, "I'm serious Endymon. These men, my suitors, are power hungry and some very desperate. If you hadn't come along, one of them would have done something devious to force my hand."

He pulled her up from her seat and wrapped an arm around her waist, "Then it is a good thing I came along. Although, it was really you who came to me."

"I didn't come to you. I came to Earth. And those men might come after you if they find out the wrong way."

"I can handle myself."

"We don't need to go to war over this."

"Serenity, do you think I don't have my fair share of aggressive suitors myself? Of course I do and many of them are wicked tricksters. I had one sneak into my bed one night!"

"Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"No...but you know that was one of the first clues to me that you were Lunar?"

"What was?"

"You didn't know who I was! You looked me right in the face and had no clue! There is not a single or married woman in the Kingdom that doesn't know my face!"

If he was trying to cheer her up he was failing miserably at it, "I really don't want to hear about your flocking throngs of women Endymon."

She walked away, angry that the evening had devolved into this, when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. None of them compare to you," but he was laughing as he said it.

Pulling away, she made her way deeper into the garden, moving a little closer to the ballroom. The fountain's trickling faded away and the soft sound of music took its place. Arms encircled her from behind and his mouth found its way to her ear, his warm breath tickling her.

"Even before I met you, those women never interested me. I was waiting for you. I have always been waiting for you. You are a thousand times more than they will ever be."

He placed a kiss on her neck just below her ear and released her. She turned back into his arms and looked deep into his beautiful eyes, "Will it always be like this?"

"Like what?"

"Us, driving each other mad?"

"I truly hope so."

The music flittered over them. It was one of her favorite tunes.

"Do you hear that?" He listened hard but shrugged his shoulders in regret. "This is my favorite tune."

He tried to listen again, hearing only little bits here and there. His mind focused she began to sing it for him. He instantly dropped his attention to her, his eyes watching as she hummed and sang it to him. He stood as if in a trance, listening her makeshift concert just for him.

He took her in his arms, guiding her in a dance as she provided the music. They swirled around the garden, she sang and they danced. She giggled as he dipped her low, bringing her back up to his mouth, kissing her for the first time in what seemed like eternity.

He pulled away sooner than she liked and a small whimper escaped her mouth. He laughed and placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose.

"I thought you didn't like to sing?"

"I don't like being told to sing. I am not a pet."

"I will do well to remember that. Even though it may be hard. I want to spend the rest of my life listening to that voice," he leaned into the nape of her neck, "and smelling this skin," his head moved up her cheek, rubbing his nose across her skin as he went, "and kissing these lips," his voice husky as he spoke, nibbling on her lower lip.

Her eyes closed, enjoying the sensation, "And so you shall."

She pressed her lips against his and her responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist. The kiss intensified quickly and her hands went digging into his hair, trying to hold on to him and herself. Their mouths opened and their tongues tried to hold onto one another as well. It was as if every part and fiber of their being was trying to keep from ever being apart.

He took his kisses down her neck and shoulder, "Do you have to return to Earth so soon?"

He paused only long enough to answer her, "You know I do."

The tears began to flow without warning, her true weakness having been exposed. He changed tactics, kissing and brushing away tears with his soft hands and lips. After a few moments are tears turned to hiccups.

He held her to him as he spoke, "You know I wouldn't go if I didn't need to."

"I know, I know. I understand that you have to go. I just wish so much that you did not."

"I am here tonight. I will stay with you until the last minute and I promise to return as soon as I can."

"I wish things were finalized. That you had claimed my hand and our Kingdoms were readying to unite. I cannot bear the thought of another breakfast, dinner, ball, or any event were it is not known without a doubt that I am yours."

"Then let us finalize it."

"What?"

"I'll handle my Kingdom and you handle yours. Let us tell them all that you and I are to be together from now on."

"You mean it?!"  
"I don't want another day to go by where you are not mine either."

She snuggled deeper into his embrace, "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

When she woke the next morning, everything was stiff. Her neck, shoulders, thighs. Her gown was wrapped around her legs, tangling her in it. The white and gold looked oddly flat in the light. But this was not her bed. And it was not morning light that was in her eyes.

She laid in the middle of a huge canopy bed. It was smothered in blood red silk sheets. Her bare feet touched freezing cold marble when she tried to stand. Tried being the operative word as she fell weakly back onto the bed.

Her dress was the same as before, but she was no longer in a memory, this was real. She felt her stomach lurch as the realization came over her. Someone else had undressed and dressed her while she was unconscious.

"Wow, up so soon after such a large dose of dark energy. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I should expect nothing less from Princess Serenity."

The voice stayed in the shadows, taunting her. Slowly stepping forward, Gabriel revealed himself, although she vaguely remembered his involvement so it was no surprise.

"Why are you doing this Gabriel?"

"Don't you remember me Princess?"

"Yes, you just went on a date with me and then attacked me."

He laughed and his face began to melt away, shifting and changing until the face that she was looking at caused her heart to stop, "Surely you wouldn't forget little old me."

"...Diamonde."

"That's right! Give the Princess a prize!"

He pulled her roughly off the bed and towards the large window that was the only one in the room that she could see.

She pushed him off and held a finger to her ear, finding her comm still there, "Guys, come in. I need help!"

He laughed even louder and darker at her now, grabbing her arm tightly in his claws, he continued to drag her towards the window, "Your friends aren't going to answer you. They are too far out of range."

Reaching the window, she looked out onto an endless icy tundra, "You brought me to antarctica?"

"Look again Serenity."

She took a closer look. The only structure that stood out was what looked like a huge castle made of crystal or ice. She looked down at the twists and turns that she soon realised were roads. She followed one up and saw a building that reminded her of Mamoru's apartment building. Her eyes continued to roam. When she saw it, she almost passed out. It was Tokyo tower. She was still in Tokyo!

"What have you done to my home?!"

How long had she been out? The city looked completely deserted and everything looked dead.

"This is your city. But not for many more years," he leaned in close to her making her twitch with fear and anger, "Serenity, this is your future."


	15. Chapter 15

So I just finished this fic and I was surprised by how sad I felt that it was all over. So I am posting a new chapter early to try and fight off my depression lol! I have truly loved writing this one, especially the sequel. That said, I don't foresee a third installment so, please don't get your hopes up. I also finished the second part to Blood Countess, although I still don't know what to call it. I also I'm at a dead stall with The Customer is Always Right part two, but I will get it done...eventually. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I am going to go and re-read this whole thing start to finish. Enjoy lovies!

 **Chapter 15**

" _True sorrow is as rare as true love."_

― _**Stephen King**_ _,_ _ **Carrie**_

She opened her eyes, but found nothing but darkness beyond them. They still burned as if the light were touching them. It was still night when she woke again. Diamonde had been kind enough to dose her with more dark energy, right after he showed her her desolate future.

Everything hurt, working overtime to get the dark energy out of her system. It left her weak, she could barely lift her head off the bed. Was his intention to turn her to the dark side or to weaken her so she couldn't fight back? He had yet to tell her what her place was in his plans. Probably to keep her from figuring a way out of it. But she had already been devising a plan to do just that anyways. It would take time though and she did not know just how much time she had until he did what she was brought here for.

If he was anything like the Diamonde she remembered, he wanted power. Perhaps he did want to turn them to their side, using her like a weapon against her friends. If that were the case, then it will have been a good thing that she gave some of her power to Mamoru, no matter what he said.

If she had to guess, it must have been 1:34 in the morning. There was no clock but there was also nothing else in the room that could have woken her. For the first time in almost a year, she was thankful for the painful reminder that woke her every night.

She pushed herself to get up and out of the bed. The sheets reeked of Diamonde's or Gabriel's scent and it was enough to make her want to vomit. He was letting her sleep in his bed, which made her worry about how long she would get it to herself.

The floor was still freezing, her bare feet touching it for as little time as possible as she tiptoed around. She reached the door, it was huge. A thick heavy door that went all the way up to the top of the very tall room. She gave a yank, just to see, but of course it was shut tight.

For the first time she really looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. The bed sat in the middle of the room. A california king easily but it still took up no space at all in the massive room. Its canopy stretched upwards, dark mahogany carved pillars with black curtains hanging on them. The window sat all the way to the left of the bed, far enough that it took twenty steps at least to reach it. On the other side of the room sat a tub with claw feet on the bottom. There was no curtains or walls to give privacy. It was clearly meant for someone to put on a show as they bathed. A sink sat in the corner near the tub with a large lighted mirror above it on the wall. On the wall next to the sink was a small door, but her hopes were dashed when she saw it was a water closet.

Between the bed and the window was a large armoire the same coloring and carvings as the bed. Its large size and shape reminded her a bit of the one from "Beauty and the Beast" but she seriously doubted this one sang. Opening one of the heavy doors, she found gowns and suits. The gowns must have been for her while the suits for Diamonde. He had even put their clothes together like they were a couple living together. The man was clearly delusional.

But her skin felt sticky from sweat and tears and her muscle were sore from fighting off the poison in her veins. If she were to ever get a chance at a bath in peace, now might be it. She filled the tub with steaming hot water and stripped off the gown that she still didn't want to think about getting put on her, and slipped under the water. It did wonders for her muscles relaxing away some of the stiffness. She wished she could stay longer, but she risked someone coming in and watching the show.

She quickly dried herself and put on the first gown she pulled out. It was also white with eyelet lace laying on top of a silk layer. It had short little sleeves and a tight bodice. It wouldn't be super comfortable to sleep in, but it would be better than the solided dress she had on a moment ago.

She stood by the window, looking out over her dead city. Tears fell unchecked as she watched the sun rise over it, giving light onto the dark corners of the frozen city. The sun soon moved behind clouds that seemed to be a permanent fixture on the city. Was the whole world like this? And where were her future self and Senshi? Where was Tuxedo Kamen? Where they all dead? She wasn't even sure what year she was in!

"It's 3093."

A new voice stirred her from her thoughts, having had them read by a stranger was startling enough, "Excuse me?"

"The year is 3093."

Well then everyone she knew was dead from age at this point, "What happened here?"

The man was tall and slender and pale. He had clearly not seen the sun for many years, "A great battle, between the White and Black moon."

"White and Black moon?"

He pointed out to the glass castle that stood before her several miles away, "Queen Serenity and her Senshi fought against our master, Prince Diamonde. They were wounded and retreated back into that castle where we are still waiting to finish the fight."

"Finish? But the Earth is in ruins. Why not just go in there and finish up the job?"

"The castle is heavily protected by an impenetrable force field. Our forces can't get inside even if our Prince wanted them to."

"And he doesn't want them to?"  
"He wants the Queen alive. Her power can heal this Earth and a new era can finally begin. The era of the Dark Moon."

The man left as suddenly as he had arrived. He left a tray of food behind. She forced herself to eat it, hoping it wasn't poisoned as she swallowed. She needed all the energy she could get. A chill ran up her spin and she realized she was being watched. There was no surprise when she turned to find Diamonde standing in the open door. Watching her like she was next on the plate.

"Would you care for a tour of the castle?"

He purred at her like she was still on their date. She didn't want to spend any time with him, but she needed to get a lay of the land if she was going to escape, "Sure."

He walked her around alone. The place was a labyrinth and huge. She took in as many visuals as she could, trying to make a mental map so she could find her way around on her own. But the place was too big, she was going have to study the place longer.

Diamonde was going on and on about the details of his Palace like she actually gave a damn.

"Are you going to tell me why I'm here or not?"

He stopped, moving closer towards her, "Direct, I like it. Princess Serenity was so….quiet. But you…."

"Get to the point."

"Alright. You are here to serve as my Queen. You will lend your powers to the Dark Moon and we will be unstoppable. And...the most important part, you will produce an aire. A pure blooded Lunar aire."

She was wrong, his plans for her were much worse than she could ever expected, "I will never do any of that!"

He laughed, "We shall see," he stroked her arm with a single finger, "what you will or won't do soon enough."

She pulled her arm away just as a man approached them. He was the same build as Diamonde but his coloring was completely different. Diamonde was pale with white hair while this guy was tan with dark blue hair. His dress was similar to Diamonde's as well, a military uniform, but his was dark blue where Diamonde's was white.

He pulled Diamonde away which filled her with relief. He was talking in his ear when Diamonde began to rage, "WHAT?"

"I'm sorry my Prince."

"Fine, I will take care of it myself." He turned his attention back to her, "Sapphire will return you to your room."

The sullen captain walked in silence next to her. It was a nice reprieve from the incessant ramblings of Diamonde. It also allowed her to focus more on the surroundings of her route. Sapphire took her a different way than Diamonde had, getting her all turned around.

Maybe she could work this guy over a bit, "Maybe you could finish giving me the tour in Diamonde's place?"

They had just reached her room, its door still standing open, they stood in the thereshold, "Let me be clear Princess," he turned his cool eyes on her, "You are not a guest you are a prisoner. My brother may be wrapped around your finger but I am NOT."

And with that, he shoved her into the room and shut the door. She heard the thick lock click into place, sealing her fate locked in her room.

The only person she saw for the rest of the day was the thin man who brought her food. He apologized for the Prince, stating that he had been pulled away on urgent business and would be gone for several days, like it was bad news.

She watched the sun drop below the horizon when the doors opened again. It was Sapphire and a few women. He had a cart with some kind of electronics on it that were attached to a large black stone. The women came over and grabbed her without a word.

"What is going on?"

"It is time for your dark energy dose."

She didn't remember there ever being this much fuss over their dark infusions given to her. The women forced her onto the bed where the cart sat next to it waiting. An arm band was placed on her bicep and tightened.

"Normally, my brother would just put the energy in himself," he leaned in close, his dark eyes menacing, "he likes to be the one to do it," stood back up and continued his work, "but since he is not here, we will have to do it the old fashioned way. Wouldn't want you skipping a dose."

Before she could get a word in otherwise, he turned the machine on and the power flowed into her. It crushed down on her chest making it hard to breath or think.

Sapphire leaned in close once more, "And this way is more painful."

Every day was the same. Wake up at 1:34, watch the sunrise, eat, do some exercise in her room to stave off the cabin fever, eat, get a dose of dark energy, pass out from the pain. She tried to keep track of the days as they passed but they slowly became too many to count. She was no longer sure how long she had been there but it was at least a week.

No one came for her. Her Senshi, Mamoru, they were all MIA. Her comm still didn't work no matter where she stood in her room, but it wasn't meant for very long distances let alone traveling through time and space.

What scared her even more was that she couldn't transform, her crystal had completely forsaken her. It didn't even give a flash or glow, it was dead.

She began to wonder how in the world they managed to do it. How did they travel through time? She was yet to meet anyone she considered powerful enough to do such a feat. Maybe they had built a machine to take them? It was in almost every futuristic sci-fi movie, why not?

Her mind wandered to her family. What lie had the girls told them to explain her absences? Or had they just told them the truth? That she had been taken? Given the reality of their monster filled world, it wouldn't be too strange to believe that she had been taken hostage as an innocent bystander. Shingo would be biting at the bit to go after her while Yukio frantically called every police station for help. Chibi-usa would cry.

What about her Senshi? She could almost see their worried faces as they worked, trying to locate her. Wonder if her GPS tracker worked? Pushing through the space time continuum, showing them her exact location but in the past? They would search the building or park, whatever use to stand in place of this Palace, and come up empty and confused.

And Mamoru….no. She couldn't think about him. It was too painful to imagine his griefstruken face as he searched high and low for her. He wouldn't sleep or eat till he found her, that she knew for sure.

Luna must be going out of her little cat mind, berating the girls for going through with the plan against her protest. She was sure there would be a tongue lashing in her future as well when she got home…...if she got home.

She had decided that if she was unable to escape, if no one came for her, she would kill herself before Diamonde could turn her into his slave. She would rather die than be his puppet, bringing harm to her loved ones and baring his children. The thought made her stomach turn at being Diamonde's breeder.

The day had gone the same as any other. That is till night fall.

The doors to her room banged open, being flung open on both sides hard. Diamonde stalked in, searching the room for her. His eyes landed on her and he growled at the sight of her. His eyes were wild and anger rolled off of him in waves. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her towards the bed, throwing her on it. He quickly climbed on top of her pinning her to the bed in an instant. She was trapped.

His face inches from hers, his voice gruff with rage, "If your Endymon thinks he can save you, he is a fool."

She tried to push him off but he pinned her arms above her head instead, "Endymon is long gone and I am not Serenity!"

He smiled and her stomach turned, "Oh you are. You are Serenity body and soul. Your Endymon may have your heart, but I have both in my bed right now."

He forced his mouth onto hers and she felt she might vomit. She fought and bucked against him, which only seemed to make matters worse. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth so she bit it hard. He pulled back but only to strike her across the face, the back of his hand landing squarely on her cheek bone, putting her brain in a spin.

He returned his weight to her, pressing her down into the mattress. One hand held her hands, binding them above her head. While the other roamed her body touching her. She could feel the food rising higher and higher in her throat. Normally it would be an unwelcome feeling, but now she saw it as her salvation.

She let the food come up and out of her mouth, sending it all over Diamonde. He jumped off of her, disgusted. She took the opportunity to kick him as hard as humanly, and Lunarly, possible in between his legs. He rolled on the floor while she made a run for it.

She still had no idea where to go or how to get out but she had to get away from that monster. She turned corner after corner frantically looking for an exit, but she found nothing. She found a staircase leading down and she bounded down it taking two, three steps at a time.

That was when she saw it. It was a huge door, the largest she had ever seen. It looked to be made of metal and thick glass. And through that glass she could see that it led to freedom. She ran, pumping her legs as hard as she could. Before her eyes the air began to change. It shifted and twisted turning into a black hole.

A man covered by a long hood came out of the hole, right between her and the door, "Now now, Princess. Is that any way to treat your King?"

She spat at him, "He is not my King, now let me go!"

"I'm afraid Prince Diamonde wouldn't like that very much."

Power rolled off this guy. He was by far the most powerful person in this place. And the way he appeared before her had her pretty certain that he was how they traveled between times.

She heard footsteps rushing up behind her and she tried once more to go around the creepy man, but he had her firmly blocked. Someone hit her in the back of the head with something heavy and everything went black.

Waking to a headache and aching muscles, she was back in the damned bed, truly meant to be her deathbed. Clearly, they had dosed her with more dark energy while she was out. It must have been a big one, she had slept right through 1:34 am and into the morning. Or afternoon, she had no idea what time it was.

She wasn't up long when her door opening again. She readied herself to fight off Diamonde's advances again but was surprised when Sapphire walked in instead.

He wore his usual grimace and didn't stray far from the door, "The Prince would like to apologise for his...rash actions last night. He was angry and was looking for comfort," she remained silent and he crossed his arms over his chest, "I don't agree with this at all but my Prince has commanded it."

She blanched, "Commanded what?"

He looked out the door and signaled to someone on the other side. A large hulking guard pushed a small creature inside before him. Her pink hair was messy and falling out of her little buns and her little cheeks were stained with tears.

"Chibi-usa!"

She leapt off the bed and raced towards the poor broken child, who met her in the middle of the room, the two collapsing to the floor holding one another.

Sapphire and the guard moved back towards the door to leave, "We will give you two a moment." She almost thought she heard some sympathy in his voice before she heard the click of the lock.

She pulled the small girl out of her arms and looked her over. She didn't appear to be injured.

"Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"

The girl continued to sob, "No, I'm okay."

She pulled her tight again, "What happened? How did they get you?"

Chibi-usa talked into her chest, "After you disappeared, the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen came to get Shingo and I from camp. They figured that we were next on the enemies' list. We were leaving when we got attacked. I was grabbed by a blue haired guy while Shingo escaped. Then I woke up here."

She was relieved to hear that Shingo was okay and that the others had survived so far.

Chibi-usa looked her in her eyes, "Usagi-chan, we are in the future. We are at my home."

"What do you mean?"

The girl's eyes flooded again with tears, "I should have told you, but I was enjoying being close to you and Mamoru. I came from the future to save my parents. I came to get the help of the famous Sailor Moon and her Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen."

So many questions flew around her hurting brain, "You knew who we are? You're from here?!"

"Yes, it's all my fault. They found you because of me!"

She sobbed and Usagi held her tightly to her, "Oh Chibi-usa. This isn't your fault. Prince Diamonde is from my past not yours. He has been gunning for me for two life times now."

"But...I led them to you. They followed me to your time and that's how they found you."

"Even if that's true, they would have found me eventually regardless. You can't blame yourself Chibi-usa. Diamonde feels slighted, like he had what he deserved taken from him. That will drive many people crazy."

"What does he want Usagi-chan?"

Fear gripped the girl's voice, as if she already knew the answer to the question, "He wants me Chibi-usa. He wants me to be his Queen, use my power, and give him perfect little Lunar children."

Chibi-usa's mouth opened in horror, more terrified than Usagi felt she should be.

The door swung open again and Sapphire and the guard shuffled in, "That's long enough."

The guard moved closer to them to take Chibi-usa away from her. Something inside her raged like a wild animal protecting her young. A bubble appeared out of nowhere around the two of them. The light reflected off it in little rainbows but other than that it was clear. The guard walked right into it, electricity enveloped him for a second, but it was long enough to leave him smoking on the floor unconscious.

Sapphire stepped forward, hitting the force field with his hand, dark with energy. It shattered, but she was ready. She flung her body into his chest, pushing him out of the way, Chibi-usa tucked under her arm.

She tried to retrace her steps from last night while Chibi-usa clung to her side. She slipped them into a corner and put her back down for a minute. A group of guards ran by looking for them but went right past their little hiding spot.

She crouched down low before the shaking child, "I need you to take this," she held out her brooch with the silver crystal inside.

Chibi-usa shook her head furiously in protest, "I can't take that! How will you transform?"

"I can't transform anyways. It won't work here for some reason. I need you to take it and get out of here. You need to go back to the past and keep it safe! I can't have them using it against any of you."

"You're not coming with me?"

"There is no way we can both make it Chibi-usa. I need to stay here and keep them distracted so you can get back to everyone else where it is safe."

"No please, Usagi-chan. You have to escape with me. If you don't…"  
"I'll be fine! I can take care of myself. If you think Sailor Moon is strong, you have never seen a determined Usagi in action!"

Chibi-usa continued to cry softly, but their time was up. She picked her up again and found the stairs. Racing down them, they both made it to the door unseen. She opened the heavy doors for Chibi-usa and shoved her out. The little girl turned back to her, to protest once more, but she shut the door in her face signaling the end of the debate.

She ran back up the stairs and started making as much noise as possible. A group of guards soon found her and gave chase. She ran, rounding a corner and running into another larger group of guards. She kicked the one closest to her in the face and slipped out of their grasp.

She turned another corner, thoroughly lost at this point, and ran into the dark, creepy man again. Without a word her body was engulfed in dark electricity, coursing through her whole body, forcing it to twitch involuntarily.

He released her once the guards had caught up to them. They then dragged her limp body back to her room.


	16. Chapter 16

So this is late and I'm going out of town in a few minutes here so I will try and post again on Sunday. But this is a nice long chapter for you and one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 16**

" _To Sorrow_

 _I bade good morrow,_

 _And thought to leave her far away behind;_

 _But cheerly, cheerly,_

 _She loves me dearly;_

 _She is so constant to me, and so kind."_

― _**John Keats**_ _,_ _ **The Complete Poems**_

She could tell through the angry musings of Diamonde and Sapphire that Chibi-usa had been able to escape. She paid dearly with a beating and a double dose of dark energy, but it was well worth it.

Things went back to being pretty much the same thing. Except they cut her rations down by more than half. They were feeding her just enough to keep her alive. They were doing all they could to keep her as weak as possible, and it was working.

She now couldn't even get out of the bed, a symptom that pleased Diamonde to no end. He would come in every night to give a dose of dark energy. While he did, he stroked her hair, arms, thighs, whatever he wanted. She did her best to stop him but she was so weak. The most she could do was keep him from trying to plant his seed in her by focusing all her energy on keeping her knees locked tight. He tried a few times but eventually gave up, saying it wouldn't be much longer till she spread them for him happily. A comment that nearly had her toss the small amount of food in her empty tummy.

What he didn't know was that she was working out a means to end it all soon. She had come to terms with the facts, she was to either become a mindless baby machine or kill herself before she lost the control to do so.

That night when he left her alone, she mustered as much energy as possible to get off the bed and search her room. Her body heavy with the effects of the dark energy, she stumbled around the room. She was looking for something sharp that she could slit her wrist with. She searched the armour and around the bed hoping she could pull something off like a hanger or a piece of wood to use. Nothing.

She stumbled over to the bathroom and searched for anything. But there was nothing. They were smart when building her cage. She hung on tightly to the sink as she watched her reflection weep. It no longer looked like herself in the reflection, her hair was limp and greasy while large black circles graced the ashen skin under her eyes. Her lips were dry and cracked and her eyes were bloodshot.

Her tiny fist pounded against the reflection, cracking the glass. She still had enough strength for that. She pounded again and again until the mirror shattered, pieces falling into the sink below. The door flew open so she quickly shoved a reasonably sized piece of sharp glass into the gap between her breast that had begun to form.

"I fell." She said weakly. But she didn't care. She felt joy rush through her for the first time in days, or weeks she wasn't sure. She now had her escape.

She waited patiently in her bed, her freedom still wedged firmly in its hiding spot. Diamonde came in to give her her dose. She thought about plunging the mirror into his heart as he sat down on the bed next to her. But she knew that would be foolish. Her weakness would either make her so slow that he would catch her easily or she wouldn't be strong enough to push it in past his chest bone. Then she would be without her weapon completely.

He was just about to administer the energy when a knock came at the door. The visitor didn't wait for a response and opened the door. Diamonde stood and left her, going to the person at the door. She lifted her head a little and through the haze she could see it was Sapphire. They talked in hushed tones but she could make out bit and pieces that still didn't make much sense to her.

"...sensed...on...time belt."

"How long ago?"

"A few minutes….as soon as I could."

"...take care of it…"

Diamonde walked back over to the bed, "Looks like we will have to cut my visit short my pet."

Her skin still had enough energy to crawl at his words, but he didn't touch her. She hoped that by the grace of the Goddess that she had been spared the energy zapping dark energy infusion for the night. It would make what she had to do a little easier.

She waited till dark for someone to wheel in the damned cart before deciding that they were too busy to deal with her tonight.

She pulled the glass from its hiding spot and looked it over. Pulling herself into a fetal position, she praised the sharp instrument in her hands. She pressed it her flesh but froze. The glass reflected back onto her, she saw the tears that fell from her eyes freely.

She thought of her family, Shingo and Yukio, having to bury an empty casket as she was sure her body would not be returned to them. Shingo would grow to be a handsome but sullen man. And Yukio….she would never be the same.

Her Senshi, fighting on without her, sailing on like a boat lost at sea without its captain. They would do well, but not thrive. How they would morn her every day. Minako, Ami, Makoto, and Rei, her sisters. She would miss them so much.

Then she let herself think of Mamoru. Her heart tore itself apart trying to get her to stop. To stop thinking of him so she would finish but also to keep him in her thoughts, hoping it would still her makeshift blade. She hoped he would move on and love someone else. And that he would understand why she made this choice. He probably wouldn't though. He probably would prefer her alive and a slave than her be completely gone from this world. Her greatest fear was that he would try to follow her as she did all those years ago. When Serenity followed Endymon to the grave right behind him. She hoped he would chose to live, to be braver than she had been. If not for himself than for her family, to be there for them.

More than anything, she wished she could tell them all of this to their faces, she loved them all so much. She was doing this for them, she refused to be their destruction.

It was now or never. She had to make sure she did it when there was enough time for her to completely bleed out. Once her heart stopped, there would be no going back. No one could bring her back from that.

She pressed the jagged edge of the mirror into her flesh as hard as she could manage. As she pulled the knife towards her, opening the skin deeply on her arm, she heard the door creek as if to open. She had run out of time. But the deed was done. She laid deeply into the sheets of the bed and savored the sweet release as her life drained from her onto the floor.

"Usako?" The voice was hushed but still unmistakable. A hand grabbed her in the dark, forcing her to open her eyes and focus, "Oh god Usako, what have you done?"

She smiled, the Goddess had been listened, she had let her seen Mamo-chan one last time. It was sweet, even if it was a delusion. But at least she would get to explain herself to her imagination.

"I'm sorry Mamo-chan. I was getting so weak. It wouldn't have been long before he turned me. I will not hurt you, any of you."

She heard something ripping and a tight pressure on her arm as something was wrapped around the wound. His warm hand brushed against her face, brushing sweat and hair away, "What the hell have they done to you?" He was still whispering, a funny thing for a figment of her imagination to do.

He stood and walked away, leaving her again. She felt the sobs rock her body but was numb to anything else.

The sheet was ripped off of her and the next thing she heard was scraping and grunting. She lifted her head as much as she could to see Mamo-chan lifting and pulling the large tub from its place and putting it on top of the silk sheet that was now on the floor. Water spewed up from the pipes now left without a place to put it. He pushed the water with his foot, moving it towards the window as much as possible. But the water was beginning to fill the floor anyways.

He stood behind the tub and braced his weight behind it. He began pushing it and it slid across the floor with a little effort. He and the tub got faster and faster till he let go and stood back. The tub continued on its path, slamming into the window for a second before gliding through and out to the world below.

She watched it happen with curiosity, her brain too sluggish to put two and two together. He picked her up, wedding style out of the bed and ran over to the window. The doors crashed open right as he jumped out.

They free fell for a few seconds, till he extended his cane to the Earth below and used it to slow their fall. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he was running.

She must have passed out because when she came around she was still in Mamo-chan's arms but he was arguing with someone. They were no longer in the dark and oppressive castle that she had spent an unmeasurable amount of time trapped inside of. Now everything was bright and glittery, she must be in heaven.

"Are you really going to argue with me over this now? We couldn't wait any longer! Look at her!"

Blue hair came into view, Ami's sweet face loomed over her, tears in her eyes, she examined her, "She has lost a lot of blood. Add in the massive amounts of dark energy within her and the fact that they were starving her and...I don't think she is going to make it guys."

Sobbing was heard all around her. She wanted to tell them not to cry and that everything would be alright but she could get up the energy to make her mouth move.

"NO! There has to be something we can do!" Makoto was screaming.

She could feel she was moving again, Mamo-chan carrying her outside were he stopped and cursed, "Where is the god damned MOON!"

"The Earth has been in the shadow of these clouds for years. I'm afraid the Moon hasn't been seen since then." The voice was strange. It sounded like Mamo-chan, but it was thin and electronic sounding.

Rei was screaming now, "We can't lose her. We need her, her family needs her. Shingo can't lose anyone else!"

The voice spoke again, "Who else has he lost?"

"His entire family?! How could you forget something like that Mamoru?!"

Then another force appeared, she felt before she saw it. It was a beautiful Senshi that she had never seen before.

"He doesn't remember because it didn't happen. Not in his memories anyways. He is just an astral projection, the real Mamoru is suspended in time. Unaffected by the changes."

"Changes? What changes?" Luna begged for answers.

The beautiful Senshi spoke again, "Someone has been messing with time. And they will pay for it dearly."

They were swept up in a blinding force. A bright light that removed gravity from them. It lasted only a second but it was disorienting just the same. Once it dissipated, she felt the warm breeze and heard the crashing waves as they hit the sand. She didn't know where they were or even what time they were in but she knew she was at the beach.

This was way more pleasant than she thought death would be. She had to force her eyes to stay open so she could glimpse the moon as if hung heavy in the sky. It was full and beautiful. It felt like such a long time ago that she got to see such a wonder.

Now she was wet. Mamo-chan held her tight but was dipping her into the water. She didn't hear any other sound except the waves as they came crashing down on both of them.

He got frantic, shaking her gently, "Come on Usako. Live!"

It was as if her body obeyed his command instead of her own to die. Her body caught fire, burning with such intensity she thought for sure she was going to explode. She could hear someone screaming and realized it was coming from her mouth. She shook and squirmed, trying to escape the pain but Mamo-chan held her down. Soon, other hands joined him, holding her in the water while she writhed in agony. She could make out their faces in flashes, Rei, Minako, Makoto, and Ami, all with tears streaming down their faces. Even the strange Senshi stood holding her, tears in her eyes. Then she looked to see the determined face of Mamo-chan, still holding her tight to him. This was real! She was really here and so where they!

She stopped fighting and let the pain do its work. It was the pain of her body pushing out all the dark energy. The full Moon and the ocean worked to give her the energy she no longer had to do the job. It all worked together to cleanse and heal her body just as it had the first time she had dark energy put into her.

After what seemed like eternity, the pain stopped. She was completely spent. She used the last of her energy to grab onto whoever she could, afraid they would disappear once she closed her eyes.

She woke with a start, finding herself in complete darkness lying on a bed. She screamed. She was back. She was back in the dark Palace. It had all been a dream.

The door flung open and light flooded the room. Mamo-chan swept her up into his arms in an instant. She wrapped her arms around him in return, afraid to let go. He hushed and rocked her as she sobbed.

"I woke up in the dark….I thought I was back...I thought it had been a dream…"

"Shhhhh...it's okay, it's okay. Your safe. I shouldn't have left you alone, I'm sorry."

She didn't know if he meant just now or on the night she was kidnapped. But she just let him hold her and rock her back to calm.

He laid her back down on the bed and laid next to her. She looked around and realized she was in his room at his apartment. He brushed the tears from her face and watched her as she took in her surroundings, making sure once again they were real.

She turned her attention to him, "How long was I gone?"

He blanched, "A month."

"A whole month!"

Guilt racked his features, "We never gave up, but we were looking for you in this time, not the future. If Chibi-usa hadn't.."

"Chibi-usa! Is she okay?"

"Yes, yes thanks to you. She came home safe and told us everything. If it wasn't for her we may not have found you…"

His words trailed off and she could see he was struggling with himself. She reached out and touched his face, realizing in an instant just how long it had been since she had been able to touch him. He crumbled under her touch, crying like she had never seen him before. She pulled him into her arms and he grabbed onto her so tight it was hard to breathe.

He regained himself in a few moments and gently pushed her away, "What happened there?"

She wasn't sure she should tell him. She didn't want to relive it and she didn't want him to live her nightmare.

She tried to turn away from him but he grabbed her face with his hand, turning it back to him, "Tell me."

She told him everything. The plans Diamonde had for her, the nightly infusions, the assaults, the escape attempts, the starvation tactic, how she couldn't use her powers at all due to weakness and being overpowered, and finally, how she planned and executed her escape into death.

"I didn't want him to use me to kill you. I didn't want to be his Queen or bare his children. I decided I'd rather be dead. It was the one thing I could still do to save all of you and myself."

"He will never get near you again."

He leaned in to kiss her but then her stomach growled loudly, filling the once silent room with its sound. He laughed and it was like beautiful bells ringing.

"Hungry?"

"Starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in a week!"

She made the joke but he wasn't laughing. He slid out of the bed then stopped to help her up. She still felt a bit weak but it was not like the weakness she felt before. He took her arm and pulled it over his shoulder, helping her walk out into the bright living room.

The room was filled with Senshi, all sitting around waiting for her. As soon as they saw her they jumped up and surrounded her, grabbing her and holding her tightly. Mamo-chan slipped out in time to avoid an accidental fist in the face, and disappeared in the kitchen, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire time.

The girls gently led her to a couch and sat her down. Rei sat on one side of her, Minako on the other, with Ami and Makoto kneeling before her on the floor. Luna hopped into her lap and stroked her head against her chest. They said nothing, just looked at her, stoking hair out of her face periodically and crying.

"I'm okay guys. Really."

"We were so scared Usagi-chan." Rei cried softly on her shoulder.

She stroked her hair and talked softly to all of them, "You guys did beautifully without me. You saved Shingo. And you saved me."

Makoto scoffed, "Barely!"

"Why don't you guys fill me in on what I missed?"

They took turns telling her everything. How they searched the whole park for her before pausing to get Chibi-usa and Shingo. Losing Chibi-usa in the end but her turning up a few weeks later after she rescued her. Chibi-usa telling them everything about the future she came from and even what Diamonde had planned for you. How Mamoru didn't sleep or eat as she knew he wouldn't. And how the Senshi had been working in shifts to look for her and protect her family from the truth.

"What did you guys tell them? About where I was?"

"We told them you took a summer job at the beach. Minako had to call and pretend to be you a few times."

Minako slumped down, "It was the worst thing I've ever had to do."

She put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry you had to do that, but thank you for keeping them safe and ignorant."

Luna lept from her lap to her shoulder as Mamo-chan placed a huge bowl pasta in her lap, "Sorry it's not more, but it is fast and…."

She dug in before he finished his sentence and everyone laughed happily at her returned appetite. To her it was like an old friend she hadn't seen in so long. She missed food dearly. She didn't even care that they were watching her eat, it was over too soon to matter much.

The bowl was removed and the conversation continued, but she was done. Her belly full, her eyes became heavy. She tired to stay awake, to listen to their voices, she hadn't heard them so long.

"Uh oh, looks like we lost her."

The girls laughed. Without opening her eyes she waved a hand at them, "No no, keep going, I'm listening."

"I got her." Mamo-chan picked her up again and carried her back to the bedroom.

He laid her down and she opened her eyes just enough to direct her smile at him, "I love you, Mamo-chan."

He kissed her forehead, lingering long and heavy on her skin before pulling back again, "I love you too, Usako."

She walked gloomily around the Palace. She was successful in telling her mother of her plans to unite with Endymon. Her mother didn't seem at all surprised and set the date...to a year from now! She would have to wait a whole year before she could be Endymon's forever. But that wasn't what had her spirits down so low. Even if the wedding was a year away, she still made her choice known and released herself from having to dance with anyone other than Endymon ever again.

No her gloom was due to her missing groom. He had left early yesterday morning but it felt more like a week. Most of the guest where out in the gardens, soaking up the Lunar Palace and all its glory one last time before they had to leave.

She found the girls in the ballroom. It was empty save for a few musicians who were setting up for the last ball, the largest of them all. Her friends were not free from over eger suitors either, having used the empty room as a hiding place. Rei and Makoto sat while Minako was trying to get poor Ami to dance with her. Minako stopped at the sight of her cousin.

"There you are! Finally! Come and dance with me!"

"Won't you get enough of that tonight?"

Ami retreated to her seat, "I tried to tell her that!"

Minako gave her the look, the one that she was unable to resist, "You being Endymon's forever dance partner doesn't include me as well does it?"

Minako stuck her lip out and gave her puppy dog eyes. She sighed in defiance, but gave her her hand. Minako took it and pulled her around, turning her to face their 'audience', otherwise known as the girls.

"You remember the dance we use to do together?"

"Remember? You and that stodgy dance instructor drilled into my permanent memory."

"Yes and now look at how graceful you are. Why you'd still be tripping over your own feet when you walked if I hadn't talked you into lessons."

"Alright alright, just start the dance already."

The music began to play in their heads as the two of them pranced and twirtled to it. The dance was called ballet, and it wasn't very popular, but it was great for training young Princesses how to carry themselves. Other than that it wasn't very practical.

She looked over her shoulder, watching the grace and poise that Minako had and tried to copy it. The dance was ingrained into her muscle memory, her body doing all the work to twist and place her in the correct movements.

At some point, a few of the musicians began to play a little for them. A cello and two violins sang out over the otherwise still room.

Rei, Makoto, and Ami sat still, watching the two of them make fools of themselves. But at least she wasn't thinking about Endymon. She smiled at Minako as they came together to push and twist off of one another. Minako pushed away with an evil grin on her face, and she turned to see the girls were doing the same, their eyes looking back and forth between her and something behind her.

Two hands grabbed her lifting her up in the air. She squealed and the girls just laughed. A couple of strange men joined the girls, sitting next to them as if to watch the show. They all wore military uniforms in grey but varied in appearance every way else.

The hands spun her, turning her to face her attacker. She found herself face to face with his dark blue eyes and suddenly nothing else mattered. She claimed his lips instantly and he searched hers hungrily.

He lowered her slowly to the floor again but did not release her lips. Her Prince had returned to her. She barely registered her friends and the newcomers mutter and leave but neither went very far.

Endymon pulled away, the kiss not lasting nearly long enough in her books. She whined in response and he gave a chuckle.

The music had stopped and he held her in his arms, swaying slightly, "Miss me?"

"Terribly. Who are those men?"

"Oh they are a few of my closest friends and protectors."

"They came back here with you?"

Hearing the worry in her voice, he did his best to soothe her, "Just an extra precaution. They still don't know who attacked that village."

"Are your parents here as well?"

"My mother is. She is talking with the Queen as we speak," his smile threatened to split his face, "but my dad stayed home. He felt it was best that he stay and take care of the matter seeing as I was too distracted anyways."

He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose which earned him a giggle, "My mother wants to set the date to a year from now."

"I tried to talk my mother into next week."

"Next week?!"

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression I had an anxious Bride on my hands."

"I'm not that anxious. Besides, now I no longer have suitors, I have a fiance."

"So what? I've served my purpose and that's it?"

"That's right." She teased him.

He pulled her in close, dipping his face into her neck, nibbling and noseling her flesh, "I don't think that's true," a moan escaped her lips as he continued his attack on her.

She pushed him away, breaking his spell on her with a smile on her face, "That is enough of that now."

He took a step towards her, "What's wrong Princess? Cracking under my attention?"

She took a step back, "I feel that we should respect others that may be around, that is all."

He didn't believe her, "I don't see anyone here but you and me."

He took another step to which she took one back, "The girls are here."

She gestured behind herself. He took a look over her shoulder, still moving closer to her, "I don't see anyone."

She turned and looked, falling for his trick. She turned back to see he was quickly advancing on her. She turned and ran, heading for the door, both of them laughing the whole way.

But his legs were longer, he closed the gap in no time. She had just made it outside the ballroom doors when he snatched her up again from behind. He buried his face in her neck again, continuing his earlier affections, while spinning them around. She laugh echoed off the empty halls of the Palace.

He soon set her down but they found that the halls were not as empty as they thought. They both grew silent as they realized Lord Diamonde was watching them.

"I'm glad to see the threat of war is not enough to dampen your spirits."

"With such a beautiful Bride, it is hard to have anything dampen my spirits."

What was Lord Diamonde talking about? What war?

"Well let me be the first to congratulate you on your future nuptials. And I truly hope this whole messy thing on Earth clears up quickly and with little bloodshed."

He walked away without another word. Endymon stood silent beside her seething.

"The first thing you need to do when you are Queen is get rid of that man."

"What did he mean by war?"

Endymon turned away from her, hiding his face, "Nothing."

"Endymon." Her voice was warning.

"There are a few suspicions flying around on Earth that the attack came from Lunars."

She gasped, "That is ridiculous!"

He put up his hands in defense, "I know, I know. That's why my father sent us back. To show the people there is nothing to fear," he cupped her face in his hand, "don't worry, my family knows that the Lunars would never do such a thing. At least...not your family."

He looked in the direction of Diamonde's still retreating form. She didn't want to believe any of her people were capable of such an act. But if any of them were, Diamonde was number one on the list.

She pulled Endymon out to the butterfly garden, to the exact spot where he had asked her to marry him. She wanted to show him the view that day.

He followed her, letting her lead him by his hand. His fingers twisted and rubbed against her hand the whole way.

When they finally arrived, the timing was almost perfect. The Earth was just rising into view, and she watched as his eyes went wide in astonishment. They sat down on their bench and watched the Earth turn before them.

He raised his arm, pointing at a spot on the Earth, "That right there is home."

She leaned in, looking down his arm following his finger. She tried to memorize where he was pointing, wanting to know exactly where to look when he was away and missing him. She was so busy looking at the Earth, she didn't realize how close she had gotten to him. When she turned again to ask a question, she was silenced by the intense lock he had on her eyes.

He moved his arm, no longer pointing it towards the Earth, but instead snaking it around her waist and pulling her into him. But he didn't kiss her, he held her close and pressed his forehead against hers as if he was waiting for something. He was waiting for her.

She closed the distance between them and ended their suffering. But he wasn't satisfied, they were still too far apart for his liking. He picked her up and put her in his lap, picking up where the stopped before. Her hands dug into his hair and his dug into the folds of her dress.

He pulled his lips off of hers in frustration, "This is not good."

"What's wrong?"

He saw the concern in her eyes and laughed, "I don't know how we are going to make it a year at this rate."

"Hmmm…" she started kissing his chin and moved down his neck, "is the Prince starting to crack under my affection?"

His hands tightened their grip on her dress and released it just as fast, "Yes."

She stopped and looked at him, his face completely serious. She couldn't help but blush, the thought that she could make a man like Endymon think of her that way was unimaginable for her. She looked away, unable to bear his gaze any longer.

But he grabbed her chin and turned her back to him, "That is not making it any better."

Her blush spread down her neck and onto her chest. He suddenly picked her up and put her back on the bench. Then stood and took a few steps away from her, "Perhaps we should do something else. Anything. Please."

Having such power over him was startling...and interesting. She rose and closed the gap quickly, placing her hands on his chest, "You mean, you don't want to spend time alone with me?"

"Quite the opposite my love." He stepped away from her again, looking to put some distance between them.

But she wouldn't let him go far, "Serenity, I'm serious."

She feign hurt and began to walk away, "Alright, I understand I suppose."

She almost made it out of their little corner of the world before he grabbed her arm, spun her around, and pulled her into his embrace, "You are killing me Serenity."

He kissed her fiercely, turning her knees to jelly. They buckled, but he held her up, keeping her from hitting the hard gravel below. He kept his lips on hers but picked her up and laid her down on their bench. The he hovered over her keeping their lips firmly planted together. The whole move made her already spinning mind even more dizzy as her gravity shifted and changed so quickly.

Both of his hands were under her, one under her head at the base of her neck, while the other sat under the small of her back. She found herself wishing for a bedroom which only made her more heated at such an impure thought.

His mouth left hers, laying a hot line of kisses down her neck. In an instant, he left her, standing up. He pulled her up as well, but she was so dizzy that she had to sit back down. A whimper left her mouth at his absences. But he was pacing near the exit.

"Alright Serenity, we should head back."

"Now?"

"Yes."

And with that, he took her hand and walked her back to the Palace. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving her alone and confused. What just happened?

She slowly wound her way around the Palace, not having anywhere to be for a while.

"Poor poor Princess. It's too bad about her engagement. It just wasn't meant to last."

Her blood ran cold at his voice, knowing full well who it came from before she saw him, "What do you want Diamonde?"

"My my, so full of spirit now that you have pick a suitor. It's a shame it is going to fall apart though."

"What are you talking about?"

He cornered her, forcing her to press herself against the wall hard so she was as far away from him as she could be. He towered over her, needing to feel powerful after having lost the King's seat next to her.

"Earth is about to go to war. There will be no stopping it and in the end your Prince and his planet will die."

She looked into his piercing eyes finding the truth, "It was you. You attacked that village didn't you? How COULD you?! There were women and children?! Do you realize what you've done!"

"I know exactly what I've done. Your family will soon be begging me and my people for help. And you know what my response will be?"

"What?"

"To give me you."

"You can't possibly want me that much? Just let it go Diamonde!"

He pounded his fist on the marble behind her head, "I will not let it go! How dare you pick some Earthan. They are beneath us Serenity! You should be producing more Lunars. Pure blooded Lunars."

"I will not be 'producing' anything!"

"You stupid cow."

His hand raised to slap her. She closed her eyes, anticipating the blow. But it never came. She opened her eyes again to find her mother standing next to Diamonde, holding his hand above her face.

"Get away from my daughter."

It was strange, her mother was hardly taller than Diamonde, yet she still seemed to tower over him.

He pulled his hand from hers and bowed, "Forgive me your Majesty, but your daughter needed to be taught a lesson in manners."

"I know very well what you were doing. Guards!"

A few guards appeared in milliseconds and grabbed up Diamonde hard. They began to drag him away, but he still refused to give up.

"I'll be waiting when the blood of your people has soiled your precious Palace. For Earth will never believe that all of Lunar is not guilty!"

She slowly awoke from her memories. The soft bed called to her to stay but she knew she needed to get up. There was something she knew she was supposed to be doing. Looking down, she noticed that Mamo-chan's sheets had been changed, from white to red.

She sat up frantic. Looking around, she found she was no longer in Mamo-chan's apartment, she was back in Diamonde's Palace. Her heart raced and she quickly looked around. She found Diamonde standing over her with a grin that seemed to split his head apart.

"Oh Princess, you got me a gift."

She looked down at her lap finding a squealing bloodied baby. It wiggled and squirmed in her lap. She felt love, deep in her heart for the babe that cried for her. She picked it up, attempting to soothe it when it was ripped from her hands. Diamonde stood over her laughing as she wept for the child.

"You are mine."

She looked down again and saw her hand slice her wrist open again, but this time Diamonde picked up the wounded arm and dug a single finger into the wound. She screamed in pain as he forced it under her skin. Then he pulled it back out and licked it clean before jumping on top of her.

She screamed, kicked, punched, flailed, and even bit at him trying to get him off of her. Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she refused to give up even as she began to tire.

Her eyes opened. Mamo-chan sat on the bed next to her, his arms wrapped around her trying to still her and wake her at the same time. As soon as her eyes opened he released her. She curled into a ball and sobbed, the dream was over but the ghosts still remained.

Mamo-chan slipped down into the bed next to her. He gently touched her shoulder but out of instinct, she shrugged it away.

"Usako."

She flipped over curling into his embrace, letting him hold her while she cried. He stroked her back and her hair, not saying anything. But she knew he would eventually ask.

"I was back. I was back in that damned bed. And Diamonde, he took my baby. Then when I tried to kill myself, he just laughed. He knew I couldn't escape. Then...I couldn't get him off of me…"

"Shhhh...it's okay. It's over. I won't let him touch you ever again."

She shuddered, the next part was going to be difficult, "He kissed me and he touched me."

"In the dream?"

"No."

Mamo-chan pounded his free hand on the small bedside table. It crumbled into pieces like it had been made of glass. His anger was palpable making her shrink away in fear. It instantly disappeared when he sensed her fear.

He pulled her back to him, "I will tear him to pieces for hurting you Usako."

Mamo-chan moved as if he was going to leave her in the bed alone. She grabbed onto him desperately, "Where are you going?"

"I thought I'd make you some food. Aren't you hungry?"

"How long was I out?"

"A day and a half. It's 9 pm."

"I want a shower."

"Okay."

"Are the girls here?"

"No they left to take care of some things. Chibi-usa is with Luna, helping her with some research on the Dark Moon. Go ahead and take your shower, I'm sure they will be back soon."

He moved to leave her alone till she stopped him, "Will you help me?"

He started the water for her while she found herself observing herself in the mirror. Her face was slim and hollow and her collar bones stuck out more than usual. What stood out the most were her bruises, they were all over her. She thought they would be healed by now but given the more pressing health issues, they must have fallen at the bottom of the list for priorities for her body to heal.

She noticed what she was wearing for the first time, it was all Mamo-chan's. His shirt, his shorts. She didn't have on any underwear. Her skin crawled when she remembered waking up in different clothes back at the Dark Palace.

Mamo-chan appeared in the reflection behind her. She turned, wanting to strip and get in the hot water. But she stopped when she notice Mamo-chan's stare, he seemed to be examining her for the first time as well. His face was sullen as he looked her up and down. But then he froze and his anger returned. She followed his eyes to see large bruises on her upper thigh, mostly inner upper thigh.

She tried to cover it with her hands, but he pulled them away, touching the bruises as if to see if they were real. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look at him, part out of shame and part out of disgust with herself. Diamonde had not gotten what he really wanted, but he tried very hard to.

He tried to hold her but she pushed him away, turning away so he would not be able to look at her. Keeping her back to him, she slowly lifted her arms as high as she could without it being too painful. A silent signal to him to help her undress. He lifted her shirt up on off of her with ease. She covered her chest with her arms and turned towards him so he could remove her pants.

He must have gotten the hint that she didn't want him looking at her, because he pulled down her pants and quickly stood, not looking at anything but her face. She stepped out of the pants that now sat at her feet and into the hot water of the shower. She did her best to wash away the dirt and everything else, hoping to come out of the water completely clean again.

The girls had brought a bag of her stuff, clothes and shoes. It was the bag they took to help with her cover story. She looked through it finding it filled with cute dresses and skirt and tops. The only thing she found useful in the bag was underwear.

She dug into Mamo-chan's drawers finding another t-shirt and some sweatpants. They were both too big for her but after some tugging on a drawstring, she felt more comfortable than she had in...well a month. Her hair still wet, she left it alone, just combing it back out of her face. She didn't realise till then that it had once again returned to its original length. Must have happened when they used the moon and ocean to revive her.

She made her way out to the living room finding it lit but empty. The girls still weren't back. Mamo-chan was still working in the kitchen. She plopped down on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them. She looked over at the balcony window, looking for the mark that had been there before.

Moving to get a closer look, she stood before the once marred window and found it seamless once again. It had been Diamonde watching them that night, she was sure of it now. Looking out over the bright lights of the city she marveled at it. It was whole, and warm, so alive. She got a creeping feeling in her spine and soon felt the need to distance herself from the window again.

Mamo-chan appeared next to her and pulled on a cord, the window disappearing behind a thick set of blinds. He gave her small smile before walking back to the living room and sitting on the couch. The food he made her sat on the table before the couch. Onigiri and Ramen soup with dried seaweed, sliced pork, and a boiled egg. Some of her favorites.

"I'm I going to eat alone?"

Without a word, he left for the kitchen, returning a few moments later while his own bowl of Ramen, although his wasn't as nicely put together as hers. They sat and ate together in relative silence. He got soup on his chin which caused her to laugh. He acted like it was a rare bird calling out. Guess it had been a while since she had heard it as well. She even fed him a few of her Onigiri, maybe the shower had washed some of it away. Maybe she could go back to normal, happy Usagi with Mamoru.

It was 10:30 and the girls were still not back. The tv glared in the background, but she wasn't watching it. Her mind still stuck in captivity, not use to all the stimulus. The tv blinked off and Mamo-chan sat looking at her. Her spaced out mind took a few minutes to catch up and he just watched her as she came back to the surface of her mind. He had his arm propped up on the back of the sofa and was leaning his head on his hand, his upper body facing her while the rest faced away. She had pulled her knees up to her chest again and had her arms wrapped around them, turning her head to look at him.

She thought he was going to say something but nothing came out of his mouth. He just sat looking at her, like he still wasn't sure she was really there.

"It's me you know. I'm really here."

He smiled a sad smile, "But your not all back yet."

She didn't need to ponder the meaning behind his words, she knew she wasn't herself yet, "I guess _I'm_ not sure I'm really here yet."

"Usako...you were gone a month. Don't you think that's long enough?"

She jumped to her feet, feeling defensive, "You think I want to feel this way? To let that monster have this...control over me?"

"I know you don't...just tell me what I can do to break it? To help you?"

She could feel the tears in her eyes again. She was so tired of crying, "Nothing. There is nothing you can do to help me."

"You mean nothing you will let me do."

"Isn't this what you wanted anyways? To have me out of your life? So we can what? Move on without each other? I'm setting you free Mamoru. You don't have to worry about me any longer."

Now he stood, looming over her, "You know it was more than that. Stop trying to push me away."

"Now you know how it feels!"

She wasn't making too much sense, not even to herself. But he wouldn't let her go, "I died the day I gave you up. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't let you go. I just wanted to save your life. I can't live in a world that doesn't have you in it. And I almost had to. If this last month has taught me anything it is that I should have never pushed you away."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I'm an IDIOT!" she was trembling as Mamo-chan let it all out, all his frustrations and fears since she disappeared. No, even before that, since getting his first dream, "I honestly thought you would be better off without me. You deserve better Usako, you truly do. And it was that that kept me going. But I am weak Usako and I am nothing without you." He sat back down on the couch and put his head in his hands, "If I hadn't pushed you away, then you would have never been taken. It is all my fault."

And there it was. She had been blaming him. If he hadn't pushed her away, she never would have gone out with 'Gabriel'. She never would have been vulnerable to their attack in the first place. By pushing her away, he had weakened her. And she had been blaming him the whole time for it all. But now, her heart overflowed, forgiving him and loving him all the more for his weaknesses. Especially since she was one of them.

She knelt down in front of him, lowering herself till she found his eyes and showed him a smile, "I told you we are stronger together. Maybe you should start listening to me more often?"

He straightened himself, "I guess so. I'm so sorry Usako."

She moved the rest of his extermedies out of her way and climbed into his lap, curling up into a ball into his chest. Seeming surprised, it took him a while to wrap his arms around her in return. Placing his chin on the top of her head, she felt the tension he had stored up in himself finally release.

"How long have you been holding all that in?" She asked.

"For too long." he pulled her face up towards his, "and this too."

He placed the sweetest kiss on her lips, gentle and soft as if she might break, "You are the only man I ever want to kiss."

He planted another one on her, just as soft as the last, "I don't want you to kiss anyone else either."

She smiled, placing her hands on his chest, letting him kiss her again, "I thought I would never see you again."

He kept giving her her small gentle kisses, each one lasting a little bit longer than the last, "Don't you ever try and leave this world without me again."

She kissed him, "I don't want to live without you."

He kissed her, "You never will."

She kissed him, "What about your dreams?"

He kissed her, "I don't give a damn about those dreams."

She kissed him, "But you wer…."

He kissed her cutting her off. Passion and wanting took over the both of them. She soon found herself straddling him, her legs on either side of him as he sat on the couch. They pressed together, not wanting to be separated every again. His hands went up the back of her shirt, feeling her flesh and scorching it with his touch. Her hands wound their way around his neck, pushing underneath the neck of his shirt till she touched his bare shoulders. They were completely tangled up in one another and found it to be bliss.

He lifted her shirt up over her head and she did the same to him, returning to the same positions. Their tongues danced together as they lapped hungerly at one another. He squeezed her tighter to him, their bodies pressing together, bare skin on bare skin. It was more than he could take.

He stood, lifting her up with him. Her legs still wrapped around him and their lips still tangled together as he carried them to the bedroom.


	17. Chapter 17

Another nice long chapter for all of you. So I have taken upon myself a major task...I am re-writing The Customer is Always Right. It was my first fic and frankly, it shows. It is still relatively the same but man was it a rushed fic, there is like NO character development in it at all! I know there are many of you waiting for the sequel but honestly, that could not be written until this was done. But I have fallen back in love with this story.

Also, as many of you know, I love to respond to your reviews, especially when you voice concerns. However, if you are signed in as a Guest, I can't do that. Please know, that I am not ignoring you. To the Guest who wrote concerns about Past and Present characters and their differences, this is purposeful, they are not the same people. This is due in large part to the difference in time. Serenity and Endymon live in a different time than Usagi and Mamoru, it would be crazy for them not to be different. And I was trying to make Usagi a bad ass instead of a sheltered Princess, sorry if she is coming off as boring. All of your other concerns, including said playfulness, I feel comes into play if not now then soon. I do value your reviews, this is in no way a harsh response so ignore that if it reads that way to you! If you feel after two more chapters that you are still disappointed, then let me know but honestly I stand by my character choices ;)

 **Chapter 17**

" _I thought I could describe a state; make a map of sorrow. Sorrow, however, turns out to be not a state but a process."_

― _**C.S. Lewis**_ _,_ _ **A Grief Observed**_

The sun was shining brightly through his bedroom window when they finally knocked it off. Their bodies, naked, covered only by the thin sheet on his bed, Mamo-chan snuggled up to her. She rolled over to meet his gaze, which was glassy and tired from their all nighter. The light flitted across them, shifting as his curtain danced in the wind from the open windows.

He stroked her stomach with his finger, sending a mild tickle through her, "I really hope this isn't a dream."

"You and me both." He rolled onto his back, putting his arms underneath his head.

She moved so that her hands and chin rested on his chest, allowing her to take in his beauty, "Did Serenity and Endymon have sex?"

He lifted his head slightly to look at her, "Excuse me?"

"I haven't gotten that far in my memories yet, but I think they will."

"It's kind of weird to hear you talk about our past selves like a tv soap opera."

"Look mister, they were all I had to keep me going while you were MIA."

He kissed her forehead, "I'm sorry, you're right."

"So do they have sex?"

"Don't you want to just wait and find out? And why do you think I would know anyways?"

"You are always ahead of me in our memories! Just tell me."

"What do you think?"

"I'm thinking 'yes'."

"Well there you go then, you answered it for yourself."

She gave him a mischievous grin, "Did you use that to your advantage?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh come on! You expect me to believe that you had insider knowledge and you didn't use it? You already knew what Serenity liked and you just...winged it with me her reincarnation?"

"Like I said," he looked at her with a telling smile, "I don't know what you are talking about."

He began stroking her hair, sliding his fingers from the root to as far as he could reach. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the attention. Letting her mind wonder. Then a thought clicked in her mind.

"Wait...if I was…..gone a month…."  
He grinned widely, "Oh she finally notices. That's right, happy birthday Usako."

She slowly started to slide herself upwards, slowly trying to get herself fully on top of him, "Did you get me anything?"

"I'm pretty sure I gave you multiple things last night."

"But that was last night, today is my birthday."

"Actually it was last night, this morning, and a few moments ago…"

She planted her lips on his, her body fully on top of his. He flipped them over, pinning her under him, "You really want to just stay in bed all day?"

She gave a nod and a smile before pulling his mouth to hers again. Her hands went to his back, scratching it up with her nails as his hands tickled her sides. Her legs on either side of his hips, she was ready to go again.

But he pulled away, holding himself up off the bed so he could look at her, "I would love to grant your birthday wishes, believe me, but your friends have other plans."

As if on cue, she heard sounds coming from the living room. Things hitting the floor and the girls talking.

She slid under the sheets, "Oh my God!"

"Well I'm having deja vu." he said with a laugh, teasing her about her admissions when in the throws of passion.

A knock came at the door and he laughed softly at her as she tried to hide her body from no one really. He still laid on top of her even as she squirmed. She pressed her palm against his mouth trying to silence him but he just started kissing it, moving down her wrist and arm and shoulder and neck….

"Usagi-chan? Are you awake? It's almost noon! Time to get up." Rei called through the door.

She muffled a moan as his mouth found the sensitive spot on her neck.

"Usagi? Are you feeling alright?" Now Ami was there.

He laughed against her skin as she continued to try and escape him but not really at the same time, "Yeah..uh yeah, I'm okay. I just…" she was having a really hard time focusing thanks to him, "I didn't sleep well last night," it wasn't a lie, "But I'll be there in a minute."

He whispered loudly in her ear, "You know I need more than a minute."

She hushed him and hoped those on the other side of the door didn't hear him, "Okay Usagi-chan. Hey do you know where Mamoru-san is?"

He sat up as if he was going to answer her, but she quickly clamped her hands over his mouth hard, "Nope, no clue."

She released him and he cover her mouth with his, "Alright well hurry up Usa!"

He pulled away again going to her ear, "I think I do my best work under pressure."

Then he covered her mouth again with his to muffle her moans.

20 minutes later, they cracked the door. No one was around.

She called down the hall, "Hey guys, I'm going to take a quick shower."

Makoto groaned, "Would you hurry the hell up please? Time's a wastin!"

They both slipped through the short distance from Mamo-chan's room to the bathroom, both still naked. They did their best to stay focused while they took a shower, but it was too easy for them to get distracted. Still she felt that they did pretty good on time.

Clad in only a towel, she looked through her bag again. This time, the clothes seemed more appealing. She saw that someone had packed the outfit that Minako had bought her that she had yet to wear. She pulled it out of the bag, a tight light pink denim skirt that had silver buttons up the front and a white lace top with a white silk camisole underneath.

Mamo-chan walked, no strutted, around her also only in a towel. She thought he was just going to walk by her to his dresser, but instead he doubled back and grabbed her up. Her towel almost slid off, but she caught it in time.

"Mamo-chan, stop," she said convictionless, "They have already been waiting almost an hour!"

"Then what's a few minutes more?" He smiled wickedly at her before taking over her lips again.

He set her down but only so he could make work of removing her towel.

She gripped it hard and ran from him, putting a hand up between the two of them, "I mean it. Now put your clothes on!"

He followed her orders, leaving her alone to get dressed with faked hurt on his beautiful face. No longer having dark energy to worry about, her healing powers had caught up to the rest of her, and it was hard to believe she had been locked away for a month. Save for the little bit of weight she had yet to get back, but healing powers could only do so much. She pulled on the outfit, tucking the top into the skirt and pulling it out a little so it was loose. She skirt had a bit of stretch to it but still left nothing to the imagination and she wondered how it would fit once she gained her weight back.

Mamo-chan was still getting dressed when she slipped out, putting her wet hair up as she went.

Rei threw up her hands at the sight of her, "About freaking time!"

Minako looked her up and down, scrutinizing her, when she smiled, "You look nice Usagi-chan. All...glowy…" and she gave her wink.

Ami gave her a sweet smile, "Are you sure you are feeling okay Usagi-chan?"

"Yeah I mean, you took long time getting out of bed even for you!" Makoto teased.

Mamo-chan walked out and around her, not even hiding that he had been in the bedroom, with hair as wet as hers, "Sorry about that ladies." and walked right into the kitchen, leaving her to face the girls alone.

She thought for sure her face was going to melt off. The girls just stared with their mouths hanging open, all except Minako who had sniffed it out as soon as she saw her. She never wanted to cause bodily harm to Mamo-chan as much as she did right then.

Desperate to stave off all the questions for now, she scrambled for the words she needed to say, "So..uh...yeah...what's going on….today?"

Ami just blushed and shook her head while Rei and Makoto jumped up from their seats to surround her, "No way you are getting out of this that easy." Rei threatened.

Makoto jumped up and down excitedly, "Aww I'm so happy for you guys!"

But it was actually Minako who came to her rescue, "Ladies, come on! We are already running late!"

Minako pushed the girls towards the door, Ami and Rei grabbing their things and following, "Come on Usa, MAMORU LET'S GO!"

She glared at him as he flounced out of the kitchen, coffee in his hand. He smiled back, making it hard to stay mad, his boyish charm working on her. His hair, still wet, was falling over his eye making it worse. He had on a pair of light blue jeans that fit just right with a dark green polo that showed off his muscular arms. Did she always look at him this way?! She shook her thoughts from her mind, grabbed her purse, and walked quickly past him, avoiding eye contact, as he held the door open.

It was the rolled rink. They had taken her to a roller rink. This one had just opened up, it was nestled between some restaurants and shops in the tight city block. It didn't look large enough for a full rink to be inside, but she was curious to see.

"Do you remember Usagi-chan?"

Ami had brought her out of her thoughts. She looked over at the expectant blunette, "You said you really wanted to check this place out when it opened."

She had said that, but it felt like a lifetime ago, "Oh yeah." At the time, she had planned on talking her parents into taking her.

Mamo-chan was nowhere in sight, guess roller skating wasn't his thing.

They strolled inside, the music was low and the rink was empty. It was quiet and erie given that it was supposed to be loud and fun, this place looked completely dead!

"I think we might be a bit early." Makoto had a tone to her voice that made her suspicious.

They walked in a little further and a large group of people stood waiting for her, hidden inside the dark, "SURPRISE!"

The lights flared to life and the place was filled with people, friends from school, the arcade, even some of her family from out of town who wanted to be there in place of her parents she guessed. Naru came up and gave her a big hug, followed closely by Gurio who was always by her side. Motoki rusheled her hair a bit, like she was a little kid. A woman she had never met before stood with him. She must be the Reika she had heard so much about.

A few kids raced about, some were cousins, others were friends of Shingo, which meant he must be in the crowd somewhere as well. She searched the crowd till a hand waving got her attention. She followed it to find Yukio and Shingo, sitting on a bench lacing up their skates. She hadn't seen them since before she...left. The sight of them was enough to break her. She took her time hugging each of them.

The girls close behind her, she turned and hugged each of them as well, "How did you guy pull this off? This had to cost a fortune?"

"They had help!" Yukio answered.

"Thank you guys. Really this is great!"

"USAGI-CHAN!"

She turned just in time for a blur of pink to knock her down on her butt. The little girl hugged her chest hard, and she hugged her back. She hadn't seen Chibi-usa since she sent her out the door, away from hell. Chibi-usa sat back on top of her stomach, the two of them still on the floor.

"You two act like you haven't seen each other in months."

She flipped her head backwards, looking at Yukio upside down, "It's not like you two didn't just spend several weeks together."

She looked over at the girls who looked like they had been caught, apparently they forgot to mention that part of their cover for her included Chibi-usa, "Yeah...well...I was pretty busy while she was there." Again, not really a lie.

She turned her attention back to Chibi-usa, who continued to sit on her belly, "Are you okay? I've been so worried about you?"

Still a small child, it was hard for her not to notice the change in her from their shared experience. Guilt was clear in the small girl's eyes and she felt the urge to reassure her above all else, "I'm fine, thanks to you. They never would have found me if it wasn't for you."

Mamo-chan appeared, standing over the two of them. He must have gone to pick up Chibi-usa. Then she saw Luna and Artemis at his feet. Guess he picked them up as well. She got up carefully, making sure not to toss Chibi-usa off of her as she did.

She set Chibi-usa securely on her feet and looked up at Mamo-chan to thank him, but he was busy watching the two of them with a strange look on his face. It wasn't a bad face, he was definitely happy. But she couldn't place the emotion that was all over it. Chibi-usa pulled on her arm, asking for her attention, only to ask to be held. The small child fit perfectly on her hip, holding her as she went her rounds saying hello and thanking everyone who came. She introduced her as Mamoru's cousin, but many of them gave the two of them a strange look. She really did look more like she belonged to her family more than Mamoru's. Chibi-usa wrapped her small arms around her neck, her warm soft skin touching hers in a strange soothing manner.

She spotted Mamo-chan periodically, feeling his eyes on the two of them as they went around the room together. He just sat, next to Yukio, and watched them, the look on his face never changing.

After making sure everyone had been greeted, she set Chibi-usa down on a bench. There were several, meant for putting on roller skates or resting. They all lined the rink, facing it so one could watch the fun. There was a small area of tables and chairs for eating. That was where everyone was waiting for her when they came in. Now it was mostly empty, save for those who were not planning on skating. Mamo-chan among them who was chatting up several members of her family and friends who also lingered there. She briefly thought back to when she had met him, how unsocial he had been then compared to him now. He just needed the opportunity to make friends really, he was a nice and caring person, anyone could see that when he tried.

She busied herself getting her and Chibi-usa some skates from the rental counter, hers looking like monsters compared to Chibi-usa's tiny little bright pink skates. They were clearly designed for kids, with big wheels spread a little farther out than on an adult pair.

The girls spun by, waving for them to come on. She had Chibi-usa ready to go first, who hopped up quickly to try and catch the girls. She watched as Makoto met her at the rink entrance and took her hand to lead her out.

The music was blasting at this point, popular pop songs, and the lights had been lowered on the rink so the colored lights could shine. A DJ worked the songs and the lights, his booth out on the rink so skaters could stop and make requests. The rink floor was made of a light colored wood, it reminded her of the floors of a bowling alley, assuming that they were one and the same. The short walls separating the rink with the lobby area were a white plastic that seemed to glow in the dark lighting.

She tightened her last lace, she had gotten roller blades, not skates, hoping it would be similar to ice skating. Although she wasn't sure if that fact would be helpful or not. Princess Serenity was the one who was good at ice skating, she had never tried before.

She got onto two shaky feet but found she was able to gain control with quick ease. Dodging others as she made her way to the rink, the girls passed her again, Chibi-usa in the middle of them, both hands being held by a Senshi, they were all light and happy. She couldn't believe that less than a week ago she was so close to giving all this away. The thought had tears threatening to fall. But she shook the tears and thoughts away.

Letting her skate touch the roller floor, it felt like glass under her wheels, so smooth. She pushed off and glided away. The girls were on the other side of the rink from her, family and friends in between her and them in throngs. Taking a few seconds to get acclimated, she found it easy, slipping carefully around the people in her way, going too slow for her liking. In no time at all she had caught up to the girls.

She passed them, giving them a raspberry as she passed, "Too slow!" (A/N: Just in case you don't know, a raspberry is that thing they do in the anime all the time, pulling the bottom lid of your eyelid and stick your tongue out. I didn't know what it was called for years myself.)

Makoto and Rei took the challenge, speeding up away from the others. They raced, dodging the others on the rink, gliding around the turns with ease. It felt like a dance between the three of them, no need to think about their next moves, it just came naturally. Each of them spending some time in the lead, laughing as they passed or got passed. The whole thing would have been easier if she wasn't so sore from the night before. The thought of it raised a new blush onto her already heated face.

She slowed down, getting blocked in by a few slow goers. She scanned the ones before her, finding herself unsure if she recognized them or not. The pack split a little, revealing a tall man with blonde hair. He looked just like Gabriel from behind. She started to falter, losing her balance from the crushing weight of fear that hit her dead on.

But then the man turned ever so slightly, to the girl next to him. She quickly realized it was just one of her classmates, one that she wasn't that familiar with, but she remembered him from some of her classes. The girls must have been planning this for months, getting schoolmates to clear their schedules in the middle of summer break.

She skidded to a stop, holding onto the railing around the rink, still firmly planted on the rink floor. Catching her breath and her senses, she calmed herself down a little. But then the music changed. Playing the song that she had sang at the karaoke bar with 'Gabriel'. It was a popular song but still a vast change in mood from the upbeat pop and techno that had been playing. Almost like it had been requested.

She turned, leaving one hand on the rail to steady herself as she quickly studied the crowd, her heart racing. It suddenly occurred to her how bad of an idea it might be to have every single person she ever cared about in the same small space. So many faces passed by her, so many lives….

A hand grabbed hers on the railing causing her to jump and almost fall. But two arms caught her, steadying her again. Mamo-chan, surprised by her reaction and by the look on her face, gave her a concerned look as he leaned over the railing holding her.

"What's wrong Usako?"

She shook her head, trying to shake the rest of the fear out of her head, "Nothing. I just thought I saw 'Gabriel'."

Mamo-chan's eyes left hers, scanning the crowd with his fight face on, "Where?"

"I was wrong, it was just my imagination. Then this song started playing and I thought…..maybe it was too soon for me to go out in public."

She cast her eyes to the floor. He rolled her closer to the rail and to him, the rail being the only thing that separated them from each other, "Do you want to leave?"

She shook her head again, "No, I'm just being silly. You guys went through a lot planning this. I'm fine, really."

He kissed the tip of her nose, still holding loosely to her hips.

"Usagi-chan! Look!"

They both pulled their attention away to see Chibi-usa skate by on one foot, Shingo holding onto her hand to steady her, laughing his head off at her silly antics.

She clapped, "Good job! Be careful please!" Turning back around, she found Mamo-chan with that look on his face once again, "What is that?"

"What is what?"

"That face? You keep making that face? Whenever Chibi-usa and I are together. What's the deal Chiba?"

"Oh uh….it's nothing. I just think you will make a good mom someday, that's all."

She was about to keep pressing, knowing there was more to it, when Minako and Makoto slammed into the rail next to her to stop themselves.

"Come on Usagi-chan! I want a re-match!" Makoto grabbed her arm, stealing her away from Mamo-chan and pulling her back into the fray.

"Alright you asked for it."

The rink was empting now, some family had left early for the long ride home. She kicked her speed up another notch, leaving Makoto and Minako behind her in an instant. They worked hard trying to catch up, but they just couldn't quite match her speed. Her hair whipped around her as she looked back at them, they were just starting to give up, waving her off and slowing their legs to a more gentle pace.

Chibi-usa was in front of her now, she dipped down, crouching letting her speed push her forward. Coming up behind her, she gently put her hands on her hips, pushing her along with her. Chibi-usa got a small boost forward of speed.

She turned to look back at her, "Again! Again!"

She had created a monster. She spent the next 30 minutes pushing Chibi-usa around the rink, till her back ached from the crouched position she had stayed in.

Free at last, she sat on a bench, resting her back and feet. More were joining her, taking off their skates. The party was ending, their time was up and soon the place would open to the public, no longer just a private party. She was soon surrounded by the girls, who had already traded their skates for street shoes.

"Ready for part two?" Ami teased.

"There's more?"

Minako pulled her to her feet, "Of course there is!"

The heat was just starting to settle back down as they stood in the parking lot. The sun was still high but would begin to set soon.

The girls were piling into the car, her Aunt Yukio and Shingo were not far from them, getting into her Aunt's car as well. A few others got into their cars and left, not part of the next stage in the party. She got the feeling the next part was more intimate. She looked over her shoulder and saw Mamo-chan being dragged to his car by Chibi-usa, Luna and Artemis on their heels.

She hadn't given it much thought, but Mamo-chan would be a great dad. A push over, but still a good one.

She covered her hot cheeks as she realized just what she was thinking about. She had never really given much thought to that part of her life, being a wife and a mother. She wanted both someday. But that was as far as she had ever thought on the subject...till now that is.

She recognised the route they were taking, they were heading to her Aunt's house. When they arrived, the house was in full bloom. It was the first time she had gotten to see it this summer, with all the flowers showing all their colors. She loved her Aunt's place this time of year, the sweet smell of honeysuckles filling the hot air.

In the backyard was a grand set up, a few tables and chairs, and string lights all across from branch after branch. The sun was still pretty bright, but you could tell it was going to be even more beautiful once the sun set.

The tables were set with little tealight candles that sat unlit till night fall. Light pink tablecloths covered what she assumed where little plastic tables. She couldn't believe all the girls had done just for her. She was overwhelmed with the feeling of love causing her to tear up.

"This is...too much! You guys didn't need to do all of this! I don't deserve this!"

Rei wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Of course you do Usagi-chan."

Ami peeked over at the two of them, "We would be lost without you Usa."

Funny, Mamo-chan said the same thing to her last night. Looking at their faces, she could see just how much her absences last month was felt amongst her Guardians, her friends, her sisters. A group hug was inevitable.

Dinner was buffet style. A mixture of delicious dishes, all too hard to choose from.

Someone turned on a radio after dinner and soft music played across the small yard. Minako had invited a few boys it seemed, someone for each of the girls whether they wanted him there or not. Rei seemed to barely tolerate her date, but slowly each of them got up to dance.

Even her Aunt was dancing with some man she had never seen before. Mamo-chan was dancing with Chibi-usa, an adorable display as she stood on his feet while he led her around. She sat, blissfully watching her dear ones enjoy the night.

Luna padded over to her side, rubbing up against her legs until she picked her up and placed her in her lap. The black cat looked at her, her wide green eyes piercing into hers. Luna didn't need to say anything, she knew what the feline wanted to express. She pulled her into her chest, gently hugging her first guardian, her soft fur tickling the skin on her neck.

With her so close, Luna felt bold enough to whisper, "I'm so sorry Usagi-chan. I should have been there to protect you."

The thought of Luna being there, at the battle made her blanch, seeing in her mind the small body of her companion being flung against a wall and remaining still. She pulled the cat back, looking at her once more, shaking her head at the feline and the thought.

Then Minako got a hand on the radio, flipping it to something modern and upbeat. Soon they ditched their dates and were dancing together. She saw Mamo-chan and Chibi-usa take a seat, not their type of dance. Her Aunt's date stood to the side watching on. She found her Aunt, making her way over to her. Next thing she knew, she was being dragged to the makeshift dance floor by Yukio.

It was nearing midnight by the time everyone started to leave. Chibi-usa had fallen asleep long ago in her lap. Mamo-chan took her upstairs to her room. With everyone else gone, the girls and her set up in the living room. Aunt Yukio and Shingo decided to pack it in as well, giving her happy birthday hugs and kisses before heading upstairs.

Soon it was just her and the girls. With Mamo-chan missing, the girls started in on her.

"So...you and Mamoru...how was it?" Minako who had saved her before was now the executioner.

Ami whispered loudly at her, "Minako! That is none of your business."

She shrugged, "You're right, it's not. So spill!"

"I'm neither denying nor confirming that anything even happened between Mamo-chan and I."

"Oh please," Rei started in, "You should have seen him. Ever since he dumped you for some stupid unknown reason he's been pathetic. And when you were gone? I don't think he even slept! There is no way you were keeping your v-card when you got back."

Makoto, slapped her on the shoulder, "Rei!"

Usagi hushed them, not like it did any good, "He really didn't sleep?"

Ami answered her, "Not a wink. And when we got to the future, he didn't even wait for us to make a plan. He just disappeared and then reappeared with you."

Makoto stood up in a fighting stance, "Man, I wish I could have gotten a chance at Diamonde."

She threw a few punches in the air, pretending to beat the crap out of someone. Ami gave her a look, "And that is why he didn't take you. Getting Usagi out of there was much more important than fighting. I'm sure Mamoru was more than capable of handling Diamonde himself, but he knew better than to get caught up in a fight."

All this talk of Diamonde was making her head spin. She stood to leave, "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Luna suddenly taking an interest in her charge from her spot on the rug.

"I'm just going to get some air for a bit."

She stepped back out into the back yard. A few of the candles were still lit and the string lights were still on. Sitting alone at a table was none other than Chiba Mamoru. Having snuck out at some point, she didn't even know he was out here.

Coming around to him and his chair, Usagi sat down in his lap, his arms encircling her in an instant.

"So the girls were just telling me how you have been this whole time, not sleeping or eating? That's not very good for you you know?"

"That is one of the first things they teach you in pre-med yes."

"You can't be doing that to yourself. Not over me."

"I could say the same to you."

"I also heard that you went half-cocked into that Palace after me. That was also very careless, especially with no sleep."

He pulled her in tight, "I couldn't bare another minute without you."

"I guess it's true what they say, you don't know what you've got till it's lost."

"I've always known what I had, I never thought I deserved it."

She slid down, placing her head on his chest, "Whatever are we going to do with you Chiba Mamoru?"

"If I hadn't gone to get you when I did, would we even be sitting here right now?"

They sat in silence, thinking about the question they were glad they didn't have to answer.

He shifted, causing her to move so that she was looking at him once again, "Close your eyes." he asked her, a small request.

She did as she asked, feeling him move underneath her. Then something touching her neck, light and cold. Less than a second passed before he told her to open her eyes again. She looked at him finding nothing changed except for the smallest of weight now on her chest. Looking down she found a thin silver chain with a small charm at the end. She picked it up, taking a closer look. It was a crescent moon with a small rabbit sitting within its curve.

She gave him a curious look, and he read her mind, "I got it months ago, planning on giving it to you tonight."

"Thank you." She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

He laughed, "That's all I get?"

She stood up from his lap but didn't move any further, "Somebody told all my friends that we are sleeping together, so yeah that's all you get."

He winced, "I'd hoped you would have forgotten about that by now."

"I will NEVER forget it."

She moved to leave but he caught her hand, "There's no way they didn't know already. You are not that quiet."

She turned on him, "They seemed pretty clueless to me!"

"Oh come on."

"And now they want all the details. Something I was hoping to avoid at least for a while."

"What did you tell them?"

She pulled her hand from his and crossed it with the other over her chest, "I told them nothing. I told them that I wouldn't tell them anything and I told them that I didn't know what it meant for me and you."

"And do you know what it means for you and me?"

She waved him off, moving back towards the door again, "I don't pretend to know what's going on in that head of yours. For all I know you will be back to your dream theory and I will be back in the cold."

He grabbed her from behind, putting his mouth to her ear, "If you really believed that then why did you let me…."

Knowing where he was going with that, she shrugged out of his embrace, "One tends to learn to live in the moment after almost dying."

He stiffened at her words, reminding him once again how close he came to losing her. She regretted her words. Perhaps she is not the only one who was not ready to be out in public.

He stepped closer to her, "I know I have given you plenty of reason to doubt me, but please believe me when I say that I won't let anything come between us again."

His eyes locked her hers, she felt frozen to her spot, "I believe you."

He reached out, grabbing her hand before she could make any plans to escape again and pulled her into him. She pressed her hands against his chest, struggling to keep him from getting too close to her. He held her tight arms around her lower back.

He dipped his face into her neck and she squealed, "Mamo-chan no we can't!"

His head popped back up, "Can't do what? I'm just kissing you."

"Yes well now thanks to you, any time we are alone together, people will think we are 'doing it'."

He laughed at her irrational thought process, "No they won't. And even if they did, who cares?"

She pushed him away again, trying again to escape, "I have already spent too much time out here with you, they are going to think we had a quickie."

"Where do you learn this crap?"

"Minako."

He barreled towards her. Lifting her up and over his shoulder. He carried her back out into the yard underneath the string lights that hung from the trees.

She quietly protested the whole way, "Mamo-chan, put me down! What are you doing?!"

He shrugged, "If your friends already think we are having a 'quickie' then we might as well stay out here and enjoy ourselves."

He sat her down gently on the ground and went over to a table, pulling the tablecloth off and laying it on the ground for them. He laid down and gestured for him to join him. She contemplated whether or not she should join him, laying down with him would surely lead to trouble, having to explain to the girls where she had been for the last hour. But then he gave her his devilish smile and she forgot why it mattered how long she was with him.

She laid down next to him, on her back just like him. The string lights glared in their faces, so Mamo-chan got up and unplugged them, plunging them into darkness. The only lights now where the few remaining tea lights, the stars that made it through the trees, and the moon slowly shrinking to a new moon.

"Did you enjoy your birthday?"

"Yes I did."

"But was it better than staying in bed all day?"

She couldn't see his smile, but she could hear it, "Maybe."

"Maybe?!"

"Shh Mamo-chan, someone will hear you!"

He rolled over on top of her, his weight balanced between his arms and knees so no pressure was on her. Even in the dark, she could still see his eyes as they searched her's.

"Maybe?"

"The girls did put a lot of work into today."

"And you think they didn't have any help?"

"How does this help your case?"

His mouth took hers, sending shivers down her spine. It was passionate but quick.

"Does that help my case?"

"...A little bit."

He found her sensitive spot on her neck and began nibbling away at it. This caused her to moan and arch, gaining him more access, but he didn't take it. Instead he pulled away to look at her again.

"And how about that?"

"I feel like this is cheating. It is certainly coerci…"

He was kissing her neck again. She was unable to think clearly when he did that. So much so, she almost didn't notice his hand slip down and go to her skirt, popping the buttons on the front to open it up. He didn't undo all of them, just enough to give himself some wiggle room as he laid his hips on top of hers, between her legs.

But then he stopped, holding himself above her on his elbows. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

"I should probably go back inside."

"Hmm is that what you really want?"

"I don't want someone coming out here and seeing us like this!"

"Even if they did come out here, they wouldn't be able to see us."

"You just want to cause me grief don't you?"

"Let's just call it payback. For all the years you gave me grief, this life and the last."

She pushed off the ground, managing to flip the two of them over so that she was now on top of him. Her legs on either side of him, she sat up looking down on his smug face. His hands were on her thighs with his thumbs in the most distracting location of all.

"I think you should be careful what you say to me, unless you want me to get up and walk back into that house."

He lifted his knees in a quick motion, bucking her so she now laid on top of him, "I think you want to go back inside that house as much as I want you to."

He lifted his head grabbing her lips with his. His hands left her thighs, going to her lower back and pulling her shirt out her skirt, sending his hands up her shirt to touch her skin. His hands continued to go up her back, till he found what he was looking for and quickly unlatched her bra.

She sat up quickly at the loss of pressure on her breast, "Hey!"

He sat up too, now face to face with her, "Shhh, someone will hear you!"

He mocked her, taking the crochet top off as he did, leaving her in the silk camisole that fit her like a second skin. She pulled his shirt up over his head and threw it on the ground next to her top. His warm arms wrapped around her and she placed her hands on either side of his face, looking into his eyes before they lost themselves again in the haze of one another.

But before his lips claimed hers again, he looked at her seriously, "I hope you are not just 'living in the moment' right now."

She slid the straps of her bra out from under her shirt and pulled it off, adding it to the ever growing pile of clothes, leaving the silk shirt and nothing else as she spoke, "Hmmm can I say I'm enjoying the moments, knowing there will be many more moments again in the future?"

He didn't look pleased but he let it go for now. She was sure they weren't done with that conversation, it was just on hold for now. He popped the rest of the buttons open on her skirt and added it to the pile. His mouth pressed heavy to her neck and shoulders as she undid his pants.

She glanced at the clock as they snuck into the house. It was dark, and the green numbers on the stove shone clear as day. 3 am. The girls were all sprawled out around the living room, turning it into one large sleeping bag and it looked like they left room for her.

They stood at the staircase, about to split for the night. Mamo-chan grabbed at her, kissing her wherever he could while she tried not to laugh too loud and wake everyone.

He had her, holding her to him his hands went down her lower back till they found her butt, squeezing and pulling her at the same time, kissing her squarely on the lips this time. Then he let her go, a passionate but short kiss, and disappeared upstairs.

She took off her skirt again and slipped on the pair of shorts she had retrieved earlier that night to wear, thankful that she had. If she had to go upstairs with Mamo-chan, she might not come back down.

She laid down, between Minako and Ami, genuinely tired after the day. Not to mention the energy she expended in the yard with Mamo-chan just moments ago, but that oddly energized her. Even after their energy came to a head three times.

The thought made her smile as she drifted off to sleep.

The sun was high when she woke, the girls talking over her as she continued to sleep. Their words slowly coming into focus, her brain started to understand what they were saying.

"You are seriously going to tell me you don't like him?"

"He is a nice guy and attractive and all, but he has no ambitions, no goals."  
"Exactly! He is a blank slate! You can tell him what his goals need to be!"  
"It doesn't work like that Minako."

"I'm telling you Rei, Kumada is so swept up by you, he would do anything you told him to. Astronaut, fighter pilot, dancer, stay at home dad you pick!"

Makoto laughed, "Well we know what kind of men Minako is into!"

"Don't look at me. I'm perfectly happy with my current relationship." Ami sputtered.

"And you Makoto, what are you….."

"What about you Minako? How about you turn your little arrow on yourself and leave the rest of us alone!"

Apparently she had woken up to a matchmaking session. She slowly sat up, afraid of what she was waking up into.

"Good morning Usagi-chan," Minako said sweetly, "I can't turn it on myself, it doesn't work like that. You think I'd still be single if it did?!"

Rei pointed a finger, "What about Usagi? Aren't you going to get on her case too?"

Minako pointed towards upstairs, "Usagi has a twenty year old, gorgeous man sleeping in her bed right now. My work there is done."

She blushed. The way Minako said it, made it sound like Usagi had slept in the bed with him. All the girls got a wispful look on their faces, telling her they longed for the same to be in their beds someday soon. Guilt washed over her. If they weren't so busy saving her and the world, they would have time to find themselves someone.

"Once we deal with the Dark Moon, you guys should take some time and get out there."

"Oh no, not you too Usagi-chan." Makoto wined.

"I mean it. It's not fair that you guys don't get to have the life you want for yourselves."

They all grabbed her up in a group hug. But it was ended quickly as the tv flickered to life.

Ami looked around at all of them, "Who turned that on?"

Each girl shrugged their shoulders, Rei started looking around for the remote, "One of us must have sat on the controller."

They were all looking around, the fuzzy screen blaring in the background. The fuzz began to dissipate and they all stopped moving when Diamonde's face came into clear view. He had a nasty smile on his face, but after spending a month with him she could see a few tell tale signs that he was not quite his usual together self. His hair was just a bit out of place and his eyes were wilder than usual.

"Good Morning Senshi, Prince Endymon."

She looked over at Ami who already had her computer out, scanning, "Is this broadcasting everywhere?!"

She shook her head, "Just here."

He knew where she lived and exactly where she was at that very moment.

He looked straight into the camera and it felt like he was looking right at her, "Princess Serenity. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday. You are so blessed to have so many loved ones," the screen cut from his face and pictures of her party from last night flashed across the screen. All of her friends and family had been there, and the Dark Moon had been watching.

She looked up to see Mamo-chan on the steps watching as well, the screen flipped back to Diamonde's face again coming in close, "So many loved ones….they are truly a gift. So I want to give you my gift. I'm going to give you 48 hours to return to me. Otherwise I'm going to kill every single one of them."

She placed her hands over her mouth to hold in her scream while tears burned in her eyes. There had been close to a hundred people at her party last night, there was no way they could protect them all. Maybe if they rounded them all up but would they even trust her after she put them in danger like this?!

Diamonde wasn't finished, "return to me before the time is up and I won't touch a hair on any of their precious heads. And to make sure I am clear, let me give you my second gift."

The screen went black causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Her ears rang out as she and everyone was thrown across the room. Wood splinters flew with them. They all landed hard on the other side of the living room with the splinters covering them.

Mamo-chan was the first one back on his feet, pulling the larger pieces of the house off of the girls and her, "Is everyone okay?"

Everyone gave a mumbled, "Yeah."

He helped her to her feet when a scream vibrated what remained of the house. Aunt Yukio. She didn't stop to think, she just ran. She skid to a halt in the kitchen. A huge hole stood where the front door and carport use to be, open to all the elements.

And within the hole, Sapphire floated, looking over his handy work, "48 hours. Or we come for you and everyone you love."

He flicked away into nothing, the sobs from her Aunt broke her out of her trance and she looked for the source. A large chunk of the house leaned up against a wall that still stood, trapping her Aunt inside. She pushed at it with all her might. Several hands joined her, making moving it a much easier task. The chunk removed, she looked down at her Aunt on the floor and her heart stopped.

Laying in her Aunt's arms was a pale and lifeless Shingo. A large chunk of splinters stuck out from his shoulder where it was deeply embedded.

She didn't take her eyes off of him even when another voice rang through the chaos, "What's going on?"

Mamo-chan shouted at Makoto, "Get her out of here!"

She felt bad, Chibi-usa sounded so scared, but all she could do was stare at Shingo as he laid unmoving. Ami and Mamo-chan jumped into action, checking his pulse and his wound.

"He has a pulse! Lets get him on the table!" the breath she didn't know she was holding released at Ami's words. He was still alive.

Mamo-chan, Ami, and Rei lifted him up carefully and carried him over to the only table still standing, the coffee table. His little body, limp, was still too big for the table and his legs hung off one side.

Yukio grabbed her pulling her to her, holding her tight to her, but she refused to stop watching Shingo. Mamo-chan shouted orders to Rei on what to get from the kitchen and she complied.

He turned and looked at them, "Someone call for an ambulance!"

Yukio let her go to make the call but she still stood watching. Ami and Mamo-chan worked to steady the splinter, afraid to remove it themselves especially in their tiny living room. And neither of them had had any real training yet, but with what they knew and their lack of fear of blood they had been propelled into action. The two of them cleaned the wound as much as possible and began checking for any other injuries. She watched as Ami pressed on his little chest and tummy, looking for broken bones and, she guessed, internal bleeding.

Yukio returned, "They are on the way. Is he going to be okay?"

No one answered her. She continued to nervously blab, "We were just in the kitchen making breakfast for you guys. And then there was this...explosion. But I don't understand, the oven wasn't even on. Was it a gas leak? I didn't smell anything…."

"It was my fault…."

"What?"

Yukio looked at her confused, but she couldn't bare to look at her Aunt in the face or take her eyes off of Shingo, "It is all my fault."

"Usako, stop it." Anger evident in his voice, but she wasn't sure if it was from her or the situation.

Neither Mamo-chan or Usagi took their eyes of off Shingo but she fell silent again just the same. Now was not the time to place blame, everything needed to be focused on Shingo.

She heard the sirens before she saw them. An ambulance arrived first with a firetruck right behind it. Shingo was loaded up, the rescue workers getting started before he was even out the door. She climbed in the back with him and watched as they worked, the car taking them to some unknown hospital. Yukio sat next to her holding her hand and watching with her.

Ami arrived first, knowing most of the Hospital staff, she was able to help with information on Shingo's condition after he was trollied inside and they were told to wait. The lights in the waiting room blared, their fluorescence buzzing just enough to elevate the headache that was starting to burn in the back of her mind. But a headache was nothing compared to what she deserved.

Minako, Makoto, and Rei showed up an hour later. Just as the doctor came back to give his report. Shingo would live.

"But he has lost a lot of blood and we are not sure yet how much use he will have in his shoulder and arm, the damage to his muscle and nerves are extensive. We will have to wait and see but he is awake now." the doctor, whose name she had already forgotten told them, "but he needs to rest soon so maybe only family for now."

She didn't even hesitate, pushing past the girls and even her Aunt to follow the doctor to Shingo's room. It was on the ICU level, the sound of machines beeping and the smell of disinfectant was more than enough to make her blood run cold.

Shingo looked even smaller on the medical bed. Tubes went in and out of him. But he was awake and smiling at her when she came into the room.

"Hey sis."

She hugged him as tightly as she dared, "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. These drugs they gave me are pretty fantastic."

She smiled but it quickly faded, "I'm so sorry Shingo."

"It's okay, I didn't want the ball anyways."

The drugs were making him loopy. She laid down on the bed beside him and stroked his hair till he fell asleep.

She quietly opened and shut the door as if any sound could actually wake Shingo at this point. She left her Aunt sitting next to him, telling her she was going to get them coffee. It was a lie but there was no way she could tell her the truth.

The hall was clear of any of her friends, anyone who could stop her.

She moved down the hall as quickly as she could without drawing too much attention to herself. Rounding the corner, she saw the exit before her.

"Usagi-chan!"

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. In a small enclave of the ICU hallways was a small waiting room for friends and family. It had couches and tables and even vending machines. Her Senshi, Mamo-chan, some family that was still in town, and Naru and Umino were all crowded around. Some sitting, some standing, and a few pacing, had all stopped to look at her. If only she had gone the other way.

She stepped into the doorway of the waiting room that had been turned into a private room for Tsukinos, "Shingo is okay. They don't know how much use he will have of his shoulder and arm yet but he is out of danger. He is sleeping now."

Everyone turned to one another in happy chatter, she took the opportunity to slip out and try for the exit again. She got her hands on the door this time.

"Usagi-chan, where are you going?" She slowly turned to face what she was sure would be the hardest conversation of her life.

Minako and Rei stood out in the hall, waiting for an answer. As she opened her mouth, Mamo-chan joined them, looking through her as she spoke, "I have to go. Tell Shingo I'm sorry and take care of one another."

She heard their cries of protest, but they died out quickly even before the door shut them out completely. She made her way through the parking lot, unsure how to get to Diamonde or where he was. She didn't make it far before a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. Dark, angry, blue eyes met hers.

"You can't be serious. You are going to just go back to him?"

She pulled her arm away, "I can't let anyone else get hurt."

"Let's forget for just a second that I or any of the Senshi would actually let you do this, he almost killed you the last time he had you."

"My life is not worth others."

"And what about your Senshi's lives? You think they will survive without you? If not the Dark Moon, someone will come along and be too much for them without you. And your family? It is small and suffering, what would losing you do to them? They have lost enough already Usagi," she turned away, unable to stand his gaze any longer, but he grabbed her chin and made her listen till he had finished, "And me? What about me? I mean, were you even going to say goodbye?"

She pulled away again, "I can't do this Mamoru…."

"Well you are going to have to," he stepped so he was standing in front of her, "You can't keep sacrificing yourself for us. We won't let you."

Frustrated tears fell down her face, "What am I supposed to do then? Let him pick you all off one by one? At least this way I can save all of you."

"For how long?! How long until he turns you against us? We need you to win this fight Usagi."

"Going will buy you all time to defeat him."

"We CAN'T WIN WITHOUT YOU!"

She stared at her feet, "I don't want to lose anyone else."

"I understand that, but so does Diamonde. He is manipulating your big heart and using the ones you love against you. If you give up and go to him, you are giving him exactly what he wants."

"Then what do you suggest I do."

"We still have 40 hours. Let us come up with a plan. Stay and fight with us. Stay for the Senshi, for your family, for me, and for Chibi-usa cause with you she won't…"

He stopped and she looked up at him to see that look he had on yesterday all over his face, "She won't...what?"

He hesitated for a moment, "She won't be born Usako."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

" _Sometimes you can be touched by God, but not healed. Often when this happens, he is using your pain for a greater purpose."_

― _**Shannon L. Alder**_

She sat down on the bench hard in shock, "I guess that explains a few things…"

The bench was located just outside the hospital up against its wall. Given the amount of cigarette butts, it must have been a popular spot for breaks among the hospital staff. Mamo-chan sat down next to her in silence, watching her reaction.

She looked over at him, "Is that why we got back together?"

He shook his head, "Chibi-usa's existence and our status in the future only proved that the dreams were false. They were the only thing keeping me from you. We got back together because I never wanted to be apart from you in the first place."

She cringed, "Does everyone know?"

He nodded and smiled as she had a mini freakout, "Oh my gosh." She placed her red face on her hands, trying to hid it from no one.

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her, "I tell you Chibi-usa is our child from the future and all you do is question my feeling for you and worry about what your friends think?"

She sat up, "I'm sorry. How did you take it then?"

"Me? I stormed a castle to get you back."

"But Chibi-usa said her parents were gone….the attack on the Palace, the crystal one…...Queen Serenity is me...Diamonde attacked but didn't kill her because she is me!"

"Yes and now you are in a chrysalis created by the Senshi, asleep while I'm in some kind of suspended animation for my wounds. The Senshi are the ones protecting the Palace, using their powers to create a forcefield."

"Chibi-usa said it was her fault."

"I don't know anything about that."

She took a minute, letting it all sink in, "Diamonde must have taken her as an indicator for me. If she disappeared, then he would have succeeded in turning me and changing the future."

"She almost did. That's how I knew we couldn't wait any longer to get you out of there."

"He also might have done it just out of spite. You are not his favorite person and taking your child would be a low blow."

"I think he wanted to destroy anything that represented our happiness together."

"And he still isn't done."

Chibi-usa sat next to Shingo, chatting away while Yukio read a magazine in the corner. After filling the Senshi in, they split up. Rei and Makoto went to central to fill in Luna and Artemis and to see if they could find a way to contact the future again. They had not heard from anyone since they left the beach. Ami and Minako stayed at the hospital keeping an eye on her family while she and Mamo-chan went back to her house.

The place looked a wreck. The wall that use to be the front door was completely gone. The kitchen and living room could be seen from the driveway. There were fragments of wood and stone all over the yard. A dried pool of Shingo's blood remained on the kitchen floor with a trail over to the coffee table. And all the honeysuckles had been stripped away by force.

Upstairs, she packed a bag for Shingo, Yukio, Chibi-usa, and herself. No one would be staying here for a while. She quickly changed out of her pjs, the silk shirt covered in dirt and a bit of blood that she didn't know if it was hers or Shingo's. Handing the bags off to Mamo-chan, she packed up Shingo's gaming system as well so he wouldn't get too bored during his stay.

Looking around one last time, she wondered what the report would read with the cops. Would they make a connection between this event and her parent's death, the now very cold case. Did this mean they would be bugged by cops again? She was not looking forward to that.

And what about her Aunt's house? How were they going to get it fixed? It would have to wait. Until it was safe again.

Returning to the hospital, she was afraid Shingo might pop a sitch he was so happy to see his games. Mamo-chan set it up for him while she handed Yukio her bag. Her Aunt was grateful to have something else to wear besides her pjs and slippers. A nurse came in and took one look at Yukio before pulling her out of the room to get check on herself. Yukio insisted she was fine, but given the way she looked, no one believed her.

Once Yukio left the room, Mamo-chan looked over at her, "Are you feeling alright?"

A bit surprised, she held up her hands in defense, "Me?! I'm fine!"

She looked over at Chibi-usa, a strange feeling swelling in her chest. It was happiness and sadness and pride and….just too many emotions to count or understand. She started to cry but with a smile on her face.

Chibi-usa looked up at her, "Usagi-chan, are you okay?"

She swept her up in her arms, holding her tight, "Yes I'm fine now."

Yukio was still off getting checked out. She held Chibi-usa till she fell asleep. Soon only her and Mamo-chan were the only ones awake, both of them on either side of the room from one another.

He looked over at her, Chibi-usa clinging to her chest, "What are you thinking about?"

"I was just wondering, what if I had never snuck down to Earth?"  
"Then we still would have met when I came to the Harvest festival."

"But would you have fallen in love with me then?"

"Yes."

"You sound so sure!"

"Of course I am. Aren't you?"

"I just hate the thought that our love is destined to cause destruction."

He laughed softly, "That's not our destiny love. Trust me. Just look at the little girl in your arms and you know I'm right."

She looked down at Chibi-usa's slumbering face and pulled her closer to her, kissing her forehead, "It's so strange. I didn't give birth to her, not yet anyways, I haven't carried her inside of me or watched her grow. And yet, she is mine. Even before I knew she was, I couldn't deny the connection I felt to her. I know I'm not ready to be a mother, but it is kinda nice. Like practice or something." She shifted the small weight to what she hoped was more comfortable for her child, "you should probably take her home."

"And leave you guys here alone?"

"Minako and Ami are around here somewhere."

He gave her a concerned look, "No they went home to rest along with Rei and Makoto remember? You made them go?"

"I did? Oh yeah," she yawned, feeling all the sleep she had missed recently, "I forgot. Well that's fine, we still have…"

"36 hours left.."

"36 hours till the deadline. We should all be safe."

"You are making the assumption that Diamonde is a man who keeps his word."

She waved a hand at him, careful not to wake her child, "He wants the satisfaction of me surrendering to him. He wants me defeated and at his feet begging."

She looked up at him again to see that she had made a mistake. She meant to calm him so he would go home and rest but instead she had only angered him talking about Diamonde's plan. Still, she was right, Diamonde wanted her to come to him not the other way around.

He was only mad because he wanted more than anything to stop Diamonde. She gave him a lopsided grin, "Mamo-chan, go home. Take Chibi-usa and get some rest. We will be fine tonight."

He walked over to them, it took only two steps given the size of the room and stooped down to take Chibi-usa. But before he did he stole her lips for a few minutes, grabbing hold of her cheek as he did. She wished they could stay that way but the moment passed and he pulled away, stroking her cheek. This would be the first night they would spend apart since he brought her back. It had been a week and most of it had been spent in a haze of exhaustion, pain, and guilt. She had not had nearly enough time with him. But she had to let him go for the night.

He picked up Chibi-usa and left. She moved, taking over his now abandoned seat, picking up the remote and flipping through the mindless dribble that was on at that hour. Before slipping off to sleep, she settled on an old sitcom that she remembered her mother use to watch.

She woke again around 1:34 am as usual to find Yukio laying across two chairs on the other side of the room. They must have released her, finding nothing wrong save for a few bumps and scratches. Exhaustion took over her again and she soon found herself looking at the back of her eyelids again.

Not sure for how long, but she sat staring at her own reflection. Her gown was surely wrinkled, but she didn't care, she couldn't get Lord Diamonde's words out of her head. Her handmaidens had gone long ago. Somewhere inside herself, she knew she was supposed to be somewhere else but she couldn't seem to focus on that right now.

Would Earth really declare war with the Moon? Even with her engagement to their Prince? It wasn't possible. Endymon would never allow it.

She collected her thoughts, freeing herself from her reflection and forcing herself to move. Just making it to the door, it swung open, taking her aback.

Endymon entered and relief washed over his features when he laid his eyes on her, "There you are. I have been looking for you."

"There is hardly any need for worry Endymon."

"You missed dinner and your mother told me that there was an incident with Diamonde. What happened?"

"It was nothing. But my mother kicked him out of the Palace. He is gone for good."

He wrapped her up in his embrace, "And you are alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

He tugged on her chin, pulling her eyes to his face, "What did he say to you?"

"My mother didn't tell you?"

He shook his head, "She has left it up to you."

"He said he attacked the Earthen village. He wants a war between our Kingdoms."

"Why would he….that bastard."

"What, what is it?"

"He wants to force our parents hands and call off the wedding," her mouth dropped, "If there is even a hint of hostility amongst our Kingdoms, it would be cause to stop an alliance between them."

She began to pace, "If it is discovered that a Lunar colony was responsible, would Earth blame the Moon Kingdom? Even if the perpetrator has been punished and was acting on his own?"

"There is no way to know for sure. I'm sure that I can keep the peace. They trust me," his cocky smile was almost enough to dispel her doubts, "I will have to go back to Earth and handle this, before it is found out by someone else."

"You are leaving me again?"

"Don't fret Serenity, I will be back before you know it."

That is what he said, but it had been two weeks since she last saw him. To make matters worse, there was no word from Earth at all. They were completely silent.

She couldn't take it any more, she had to see Endymon.

Sneaking back down to Earth was easier than she thought it would be. She was sure her mother would have assumed she would attempt such a feat. But no one either cared or thought as much. The halls of the offices in the West wing were relatively quiet and she did her best to keep it that way, slipping her heels off and making her way to the transportation dias barefoot.

She landed in the once bright field but now found it cold and dark. There were no leaves at all on the trees. And the grass had turned from a golden yellow to a dark brown. The sun was sharing its last rays of light before going below the horizon. It would not be long before everything was dark.

By the time she made it to the castle, there was no longer any light from the sun. She stumbled and struggled in the dark, until she found a familiar gate. It was the one Endymon had taken her through to aid her escape. The one that led to the rose garden.

She had no idea how to get to the castle, let alone into it. A few large burning sticks lined the garden and a few of the paths. But they all appeared to be the same. She was left wondering around the garden, that now seemed even more like a maze than the one she had been stuck in before.

Coming around another corner, she found a small clearing with another barrage of roses, but these were all red. A fountain sat in the middle, it was small and tasteful. It was another nice garden but, nonetheless, it was not the castle.

She stood up on one of the small benches that lined the fountain, trying to look over the hedges and walls to get her bearings. All she could make out was a large building that she was nowhere near.

It felt hopeless, it was as if the Goddess, who had brought them together, was now keeping them apart.

She wasn't sure how long she had been wondering around, but if her aching feet were any indication, coupled with the dark and cold air, it had been quite a while. She sat down on the bench, pulling her knees into her chest. The folds of her dress billowed around her, filling up the small bench with its white, silky layers. A chill ran through her, causing her to pull her cloak tighter around her.

There wasn't a soul around, no one to find, chasitize, or help her in any form. She wasn't even sure she could find her way back to the field, let alone out of the garden. And it was cold. Already colder than when she arrived now that the sun had gone.

Laying down, she hoped to retain more heat by huddling her body together as much as possible. But it was making her tired, she was going to be spending the night in the garden. Maybe in the morning light, she would be able to find her way out. But right now, all she could think about was closing her eyes.

Of all things, it was the warmth that woke her. She didn't want to wake, the warmth spread over her, covering her in a blanket of comfort. Her body screamed for her to stay where she was but her mind was too curious, waking her from her comfort.

Her eyes slowly focused, she was no longer in the garden. There were four walls around her, one wall with a fireplace in it that was roaring with life and heat. She tired to get up, but found something holding her in place. She was in a bed and had gotten wrapped up in the sheets, tangling her legs.

Once free, she continued her search for information. The room was nicely dressed but still rather plain. Dark blues and greens covered the walls and the floors in the form of curtains, rugs, and even the sheets on the bed she left. In one corner sat a worn looking chair next to a large bookcase, overflowing with histories, novels, and philosophies. A small desk and chair sat in another corner, the desk covered in papers and maps and the chair covered by her cloak.

She jumped at his voice, but not because she was afraid, she was just surprised, "I thought you would sleep till morning."

Moving into the room from the balcony he had been hiding on, he gave her a wry smile, he was the most beautiful thing she had seen in a while. Fresh tears sprung into her eyes. The smile left his face and he quickly closed the distance between them, sweeping her up into his arms.

She had missed him, so much that it hurt. He held her tight, so tight it was hard to breath but she didn't care, she didn't want him to let go in the slightest. She buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent deeply. For the first time in weeks, everything felt right because she was in his arms. The past few weeks that Endymon was gone felt like a long nightmare and this was where she was supposed to be. This was where she belonged, by his side.

He pulled away slightly but she pulled him back in. He laughed, and pulled back again, lifting her face and lowering his. It was a sweet and gentle kiss but it still accomplished weaking her knees. It was also short.

He held her still, but not as tight, "What are you doing here Serenity? In the dark?"

"I couldn't bear to be apart from you any longer."

"So you left the Palace in the middle of the night?"

"No I left before nightfall...I just got lost."

"And planned to spend the night in the garden?"

"You had been gone for so long, I feared you weren't coming back!"

"Things are a little tense here, but I was coming soon. A few days actually."

"Oh…."

He lifted her up off the floor, "But I'm glad you are here, even if it was foolish and dangerous for you to come."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she claimed his lips, doing her best to show him just how much she had missed him, letting all of her wanting flow out of her and into the kiss. He responded in kind, all their neediness and desire turning the kiss into something more.

But then, he ripped away from her, her feet touching the ground so quickly, she almost fell over. He launched himself across the room, needing sudden distance from her.

She felt dejected, but when he turned around to face she could see the heat and desire in his face. He wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.

Taking a step, she meant to be in his embrace again, but he held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks, "Serenity, I need you to stay away from me."

"Why? I have been separated from you long enough."

She took a step again causing him to take a step back, "It has been a struggle for me enough, to control myself around you, even in public. I don't know how much control I will have here alone in my room. Especially being apart from you for so long."

She took another step, this time Endymon tried to step back, but found himself against a wall, "Why do you need to control yourself around me?"

"Serenity." He said it through gritted teeth as if he were in pain just saying her name.

She backed off. She did not want to cause him pain, even if the thought of distance between them pained her.

"I am sorry Serenity. I wish I was a stronger man. I thought I was, but you weaken me in the best and worst way."

"I am not weakened, why won't you let me be strong for both of us?"

"I don't want you to have to be strong, fighting me off like those other men."

"But I wouldn't be fighting you off."

"Serenity…"

"Why? Why would I? You are the one I love. The one I am going to spend the rest of my life with? Why would I fight you off when I don't want to?"

"You don't know what you are saying…"  
"Yes I do."

He shook his head but she was still sure of herself and her choice. She made easy work of the laces at the back of her gown, pulling it off, leaving her in her corset.

"Serenity, stop."

But his voice was not one of anger or conviction, it was full of desire. She continued, pulling at the strings of her corset till she was standing in nothing but shoes. He refused to look at her, his eyes drawn to the floor.

"Look at me."

He shook his head and kept his eyes on the floor. With nowhere to run, she made her way over to him again. Her heart was racing, as it any moment it would rocket out of her chest. But she was set in her convictions.

She placed her palm on his face, trying once again to get him to look at her, at least in the face, but he still held his place, "You don't know the future Serenity. There is no guarantees in life. No matter how much I love you, there is no way to know for sure that we will be allowed to spend forever together. You should wait and only be this way with your husband."

Fear froze her heart, the sudden stilling causing a painful pause for it. There was a chance they wouldn't be allowed to be together? No. She couldn't take the thought of it. The idea of not having Endymon was too great for her to bear. She refused to let that happen.

"Before the Goddess, I Serenity of the Silver Millennium, swear my everlasting love and devotion to you, Endymon of the Earth Kingdom. I will share my life and my Kingdom with you, bearing the responsibilities of this life together. Until the last of my breath leaves my body, I will belong to you."

She had seen many Lunar weddings throughout her life. Add on the fact that Minako was a hopeful romantic who use to make her play pretend weddings with her and she had the traditional vows memorized.

Endymon had finally turned to look at her, a smile spreading as she spoke, until it was his turn, "Before the Goddess, I Endymon of the Earth Kingdom, pledge my undying love and devotion to you, Serenity of the Silver Millennium. I will share my life, Kingdom, and all that I have with you, sharing the responsibilities of this life with you. Beyond the last breath of my body, I will belong to you always."

With his words finished, he swept her up and carried her to his bed.

It was the sound of talking and laughing that woke her, even if it was clear they were trying to keep it down. She blinked in the bright fluorescent light mixed with the bright sun, the room slowly coming into focus.

Chibi-usa sat on the bed with Shingo, playing a fighting game. The ugly characters danced and bounced around one another. Minako and Ami sat nearby with Yukio, chatting away about who knows what. Seeing her start to rise, they stopped and focused on her.

"Good morning Usagi!" They cheered.

She attempted to sit up, her stiff muscle protesting her every move.

Yukio gave her a sad look, "Why don't you go rest somewhere? Maybe one of the girl's house?"

Looking around the room, she could see she wasn't the only one who slept in a chair all night, "What about you? You need some rest too."

She held up her wrist showing a hospital armband, "Wish I could, but I haven't actually been released yet. You go, take a shower, get some rest."

Her body protesting once again, she was able to get up out of the chair after a few tries. As soon as the door shut behind her, it opened again, Minako following her out.

"Here." She held out a small silver key to her and with a questioning look, she took it, "It's Mamoru's. He gave us a key when his place was a temporary command central. We used his place when you were missing. But I know he always intended it for you, that's why he had a spare in the first place."

"Oh...okay."

She handed her another set of keys, "And here, you can take my car. Borrowed my mom's."

She knocked first, but got no answer, so she let herself in. The place was so quiet and still, so different from the place she had just spent the last 20 hours in.

She called out but got no answer. She was alone.

It had been a really long time since she had been completely alone, it was a little lonely but freeing at the same time. With the bag she packed herself on her shoulder, she made her way to the back of the apartment.

The water took only a few minutes to warm. She turned the heat up pretty high, hoping to relax away the last of the stiffness in her bones. A tune found its way into her head, turning into her humming, and then singing loudly without fear. The water and her singing was the therapy her body and mind truly needed. Everywhere she turned there seemed to be nothing but fear and stress. When did her life get so complicated?

The shower curtain was pulled back in one swift motion, breaking her out of her revelry and song. She jumped, covering herself as much as possible out of reflex.

"I leave for a few minutes, and an angel invades my place."

She relaxed, no longer feeling the need to hide herself, she dropped her hands and turned her back to him, going back under the water, "Minako gave me a key. I hope that's okay?"

"I had it made for you anyways."

He stood in silence watching her for a few minutes until she turned and fussed at him, "Are you just going to stand there the entire time?"

The curtain fell back into place and he disappeared. She busied herself with finishing her shower, going back to singing at the top of her lungs. When the shower curtain opened again, she didn't bother to stop or turn around knowing it was just her friendly peeping tom.

His mouth found her shoulder, placing a kiss, while his hands slowly made their way across her stomach, wrapping his arms around her. She twisted in his embrace, turning to face him, the hot water on her back and his hot chest on hers. He pulled her in tight to him, taking her lips with his.

Once the water turned cold, they moved to the bedroom, not caring that their wet hair was no doubt ruining his sheets. And with all the sweat, she was sure they would both need another shower….starting the whole thing over again. Not that she minded.

With the sheets and most of the pillows now on the floor, they laid uncovered on his bed, catching their breath. Sleep threatened to claim her, but she did her best to fight it off, not wanting to waste any of their time together. With a battle eminent, there was no telling when they might get this time again.

She rolled over, snuggling into him and he welcomed her with open arms. She was drawing shapes into his chest, when she heard him start to softly snore.

She almost knocked him off the bed, "Mamo-chan! Wake up!"

He woke with a start, "What! What happened?!"  
"You fell asleep!"

He laughed, "Yeah well I just used up all of my energy."

She sat up, crossing her arms and legs, to glare at him, "Mamo-chan we have less than 24 hours before all hell breaks loose."

"All the more reason to take a nap."

He closed his eyes again and she jumped on him, shaking him till his eyes popped back open, "Don't you want to spend these remaining hours with me?"  
"I am Usako."

"I meant conscious."

He gave up on sleep and rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow and patting the bed next to him. She laid down, still fighting her own exhaustion. Copying his position, they laid face to face looking into each other's eyes. They stayed like that for several minutes, just studying their faces.

He traced a finger down her jawline, his eyes following the trail he was making. Mamoru was lost in thought, he may have been laying next to her but his mind was elsewhere. Most likely on the future and the war it held.

"Is there really anything to worry about? I mean, doesn't Chibi-usa's existence prove that we win?"

His eyes and thoughts returned to her, "I wish it did, but since they have come to the past...they are attempting to change the future we now know. It just proves that the future is not set in stone. That it can be altered even now."

She frowned, "It also proves that we never get a break from the fight. Even in the future we are having to fight for our continued happiness."

He was returning her frown, "I guess that's the thing about happiness, if you are not willing to fight for it, then you don't deserve it in the first place."

"Isn't that what Diamonde is doing? Fighting for his happiness?"

He shook his head, "No he is trying to steal happiness from others. He could easily find his own but instead he wants to take happiness from us. It is selfish and greedy, which is why he will fail."

"Because we deserve happiness more?"

His finger stopped under her chin, making sure she was looking at him while he spoke, "You do, Usako."

She kept her eyes firmly on his, "And so do you."

Tears were threatening to fall and Mamoru pulled her the short distance between them, into his arms. Flesh and against flesh, they held one another in their purest forms. His warmth bathed over her, making her fight against exhaustion even more impossible, darkness claiming her quickly.

This time, it was the cold that woke her. A fire still popped nearby but she was vaguely aware of the lack of warmth within the bed. Stretching out, she confirmed her suspicions, finding herself alone in the large bed.

Serenity held the cloth of the sheet to her chest, rising off of the bed. She quickly found her mate out of the balcony that was attached to his room. He wore only a pair of slacks even in the cold air, as he leaned against the railing. The pale light of dawn washed over his form, reminding her of the night they had just shared together. Flashes of his body over hers caused a blush to ravage her pale cheeks.

As if to sense her awakening, he turned, finding her eyes instantly. Leaving his brooding, he returned to the bed, slipping off his slacks before climbing back into the bed with her. This only made her blush more and she fought the urge to turn her eyes away from his naked form.

He covered his lower half with the sheet, pulling it from her grasp. She quickly slid down, laying under the covers once more to hide herself.

He chuckled at her attempt to remain innocent, which even she realized was silly given all they had done together the night before.

His hands found her under the sheet, pulling her closer to him, "I should get you home."

Even as he said it, his hands were roaming her body, telling her that he wasn't going to let her go anywhere, "But I am home. I'm with you, my husband."

He moaned, liking her calling him that very much, "That's right. You are mine little rabbit. My wife."

His mouth claimed her neck as his hands grabbed her backside, pulling her in even closer to him. Her hands on his chest slid their way up and around his neck, pulling him in deeper to her skin, welcoming the assault on her senses.

Making his way down, leaving a hot trail of kisses, he stopped at the top of her breast before pulling the sensitive skin into his mouth, leaving a love bite.

A gasp escaped her lips at the realisation of what he had done, "Endymon!"

He laughed against her skin, "Now anyone who dares to look will know you are taken."

Her anger faded as his mouth continued downward, taking more and more of her in his hot mouth. But then he stopped, grabbing the sheet and pulling it over them, blocking out the rising sun while he flipped them both over. Now she was on her back while he laid on top of her.

Being under the cover, away from prying eyes even though she knew full well there were none, she felt emboldened. Her legs wrapped his waist, locking him in place at her over heated entrance. His hands moved up and down her sides, tickling her ribs. She kissed and sucked on his shoulders, leaving more than one love bite just as he had done to her. Leaving her mark on him as well. But it didn't seem to bother him as it did her.

He inched himself forward, attempting to claim her. But with a small squeeze of her thighs she was able to stop him. Surprise was swiftly exchanged for mirth as he saw the mischievous look on her face.

"I am not an tree you know. You do not need to mark me like you are an animal staking his claim on his territory."

He laughed, "I'm sorry my love. I just can't help but feel a little predatory when it comes to you. You are by far the most beautiful woman in the galaxy."

She felt her cheeks warm with blood, "I am yours heart and soul, that is all that matters."

His head bowed down, landing on her chest as he shook it, "How am I ever to let you go if you keep saying things like that."

The marks he had left on her in their wedding bed where starting to fade, which oddly made her sad. She had been able to hide them for the most part with strategic clothing placement. Not from her handmaidens of course, who gave her inquisitive looks, but said nothing.

It had been nearly a week, but today he was supposed to visit. She sat, waiting for him in their spot, the bench where he proposed. The Earth hung before her, its beautiful greens and blues with spots of white were break taking. It reminded her of a marble she played with as a child, its colors twisting in the sunlight when she held it up.

She was surprised at how nervous she was, finding her hands shaking as she laid them in her lap. When her knee began to bounce, she took it upon herself to stand and pace, hoping to work out some of her nerve. Hearing footsteps on the path made her almost faint, but when she saw him she truly wanted to. Blood drained from her face and her stomach twisted painfully in fear.

Standing between her and the exit was not her husband, but Lord Diamonde, who was looking at her up and down like a meal. The food in her stomach moved up into her throat, forcing her to swallow it back down. All while Diamonde just smirked at her.

"What are you doing here?"

He laughed, "Look at the little moon Princess, all worked up."

"My mother banished you from the kingdom. You no longer have any right to be here.."  
"Oh but I have every right. This land will soon be a graveyard and the universe will have me as it's leader."

"And that's how you would prefer it? To rule over a bunch of corpse?!"

His smile turned to a sneer, "No, I would rather rule with you by my side, which you still can."

"And that would stop you? The Earth and Moon would be saved from the death you have planned?"

Looking her up and down once more he frowned deeply, "No the Earth will still fall. Especially that Prince of theirs."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like having to share my things, especially my women."

It clicked in her mind, he knew. He knew that they had shared one another. She didn't know how but she felt even more violated by it. A dry heave worked its way out and he took the opportunity to close the distance between them, grabbing her roughly by the hair forcing her head back. She was at his mercy as her held her painfully, stilling her actions and forcing her to look him in the face.

His free hand slowly began wandering her body, not hitting anything too personal yet, "How could you let that heathen touch you? We Lunars are Gods and he is nothing but a worthless human."

She spat in his face, getting him to remove his hand from assaulting her body any further while he wiped it away, "Endymon is a God to me."

His hand raised as if to strike her, but then he stopped himself, looking as if he thought of a worse punishment. He plunged his face down onto hers, claiming her lips forcefully. Even with the searing pain at her scalp, she pressed and fought to get away from his hold. He bit down on her lip painfully, causing her to open her mouth. A huge mistake on her part as he took the opportunity to slide his snake of a tongue into her mouth. But it was his doom.

She bit down hard on his tongue, causing him to rip away from her and practically toss her across the garden. He spewed what she could only imagine was curses as his tongue had already began to swell, making him hard to understand.

He grabbed her up by the arms hard, making her scream in pain as his nails dug into her flesh, then threw her down on the concrete bench. Her head spun from the impact of her skull on the hard and unforgiving surface. When she righted herself, Diamonde was on top of her, pulling up her skirts.

"I will just have to take you for myself then you whore."

She screamed and failed against him, praying for someone to hear her, but she was so far out in the garden. Even if her voice did reach the closest set of guards, she doubted they would get to her in time. And for Diamonde to even get access to her, the closest guards were dead or incapacitated. She landed a few punches to his face and chest, but he soon grabbed up her wrist, twisting them together. Slamming her back against the bench caused the world to spin once again and when it stopped she found Diamonde in between her legs, his hand still held her wrists while his other hand was struggling with getting his pants off. She pulled her knee up, knitting them together as best she could, it was enough to keep him out of her for a while longer but she didn't know how long.

He looked at her in the face with a wild look in his eyes and she saw the truth of him within, "You are a monster Diamonde. You might as well kill me because I would rather be dead than be yours."

Twisting his face, she watched as it turned from anger to happiness that only could be accomplished by a mad man. He returned to his task of removing his pants when he froze. The color drained from his face along with any and all confidence he once had. He twitched, moving forward slightly, but it was enough for her to catch the flash of light reflecting off the sword that now sat at the back of Diamonde's neck.

"Get your goddamn hands off my wife."

Diamonde released her wrist, dropping them unceremoniously as if they now burned him. He took a step back with, what she assumed, Endymon's movements. As soon as she could, she scrambled away from him and to her feet, but a wave of dizziness and nausea made her regret her sudden movements. Even those to get away from Diamonde. She was only vaguely aware of words being spoken to her as she tried to regain her grip on reality.

"...Serenity….Serenity! Are you alright? Can you run?"

Run? Why was Endymon asking her if she could run? She didn't want to leave his side even if she could. She was confused and everything hurt. With a whimper she took in the sight of the two men who now faced one another. Endymon still held the blade to Diamonade's neck, which now sat on his Adam's apple. A small drip of red trailed down below the spot where Endymon's sword touched skin.

Even though the color was still gone from his face, Diamonde bared his teeth at Endymon, "What are you doing here? Don't you have urgent matters to attend to at home?"

Endymon didn't take his eyes off his prisoner, "Serenity I need you to go get the Queen NOW."

She started out slow, in part to the pain and confusion but also because she did not want to leave Endymon. A pit had begun to grow, one of worry and fear the further she got from her husband.

Now in a full sprint, she alerted a few guards as she passed to the intruder in the garden, that Lord Diamonde was on the premises. She nearly collided with her mother in the most un-queen like manner she had ever seen her mother have.

She had no idea what she looked like, but as her mother's eye roamed over her she knew it must look bad, "Serenity, I have been looking everywhere for you. Some of Diamonde's men have attacked. But I feared they were only a distraction. Are you hurt?"

"I am fine mother, but you need to come with me NOW!"

The two of them hurried back to the garden, finding Endymon looming over Diamonde, who now sat on his knees before the Earth Prince. He sneered at the two of them as they arrived, his teeth red with blood, guards surrounded the scene but not advancing. It was clear to everyone that Endymon had the man before them handled.

Mother wrapped her arms around Serenity, as if only now grasping what had occurred only moments ago, "Diamonde. Of all the the low things a creature could do, I never expected such from you. You are a Lord for Goddess sake! We are all on the same side!"

He laughed, "Same side? While you and your precious daughter sit here in paradise, the rest of us slave away to make a name for us. Only to be ridiculed as the 'Dark Moon'. Sure we could have invaded, taken you by force. But one look at the Moon Princess, and I knew she was meant to be mine.."

"Only one problem with that," Endymon finally spoke in even tones, "she is not and never will be yours."

Diamonde's eyes stayed on hers, "Does the Queen know of your little secret? Or did you keep it from her as well?"

Ever the elegant ruler, her mother did not take the bait, "Why are you here Diamonde? Even with your little crew to distract, we would have found you out sooner or later."

"Ah, but I knew it would be later...too late in fact."

Endymon moved to push his blade threw Diamonde's neck, the implications of his plan not lost on any of them. She felt as if she might be sick. All of this was her doing, it was all because of her.

She was unclear as to what happened next exactly, all she knew was her mother was standing next to her one moment and then steadying her the next. Helping her to a nearby bench before turning her gaze back to the monster before them.

"You couldn't have expected to get away with this? You must have known we would have caught you either way."

"I had hoped that I would have finished with the princess, forcing both your hands into giving her to me less she be labeled a harlot throughout the galaxy," he eyed the Earth Prince dangerously, "But I soon realised all that was for not and decided to have my fun anyways. It won't matter what you do with me, I will be freed soon enough once the ruins of your kingdoms are smolderning husks for me to claim. Your doom is inevitable and I will have all that I want regardless."

Unable to take anymore, Endymon stepped forward and in a swift move brought the hilt if his sword down on Diamonde's skull hard. A sickening crunch came from it and Diamonde fell slack to the ground. Sheathing his sword, he stepped back and greeted the Queen with the respect she deserved but kept his eyes trained on her.

"I apologize your Majesty, but I could no longer stand the foul words coming from his mouth. If he spoke any more ill words towards either of you, I fear I would have killed him instead."

The Queen gave him a nod while gesturing to the guards to take the limp body away, "Put him in the darkest cell we have and keep close watch on him and his henchmen."

With Diamonde out of sight, mother turned her attention to her fully, "Serenity, are you alright?"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, "He is a monster mother, I have seen it for myself. There is nothing left of the man we once knew. And it is all my fault mother, I drove him to all of this!"

Pulling her into her arms, her mother hushed her, "No, no my dear sweet Serenity. None of this is your fault. That would be like the moon cursing the sun for rising. You cannot help the madness of lust and power that claims so many men."

She slowly released her, glancing over at the man that still stood silently waiting for his turn. Mother turned back to her once more, "We have much to discuss later."

The seriousness in her mother's tone was hard to miss, but she stood and left the two of them alone regardless. As soon as mother was out of hearing distance, Endymon was kneeling before her, holding him tightly to her. Fresh tears fell as the reality of the last hour hit her.

He didn't say anything, not yet anyways. He just held her, stroking her back. But she couldn't take it, another man had kissed her, had touched her.

She pushed him away, not completely away as he would not let her. Entrapped between him and the bench, she had no choice but to allow him to linger inches away from her. Looking up, she expected anger or hurt but instead she only saw the same love he always had reflecting in his eyes for her.

Grabbing his tunic, she pulled him into her again, this time claiming his lips with hers. It had been too long since she had seen, touched, smelled, or tasted him and already it was not going as she had hoped. He deepened the kiss quickly, his desire to be with her after so long apart resurfacing. But it didn't last long, as he regained himself and pulled away gently, looking deeply into her eyes. Pushing a large chunk of hair that had been ripped lose by Diamonde's attack, he placed a hand on her cheek, the look in his eyes mixing with love, anger, and guilt.

"I'm fine. A bit sore, but it could have been worse if it wasn't for you."

The guilt washed from his eyes at her words, "I should have been here. We should be together Serenity, always."

She buried herself in his arms at his words, "I want to be at your side as well, forever."

He put an arm under her knees and the other at her back, lifting her up off the bench she had been sitting on, and carried her away as if she weighed nothing.

The bed was empty next to her when her eyes adjusted to the room around her. Much like it had been for Serenity every time she woke from her love making with Endymon. Sadness and loneliness filled her at the thought, and she truly pitied the star crossed lovers for the first time.

She wasn't given long to dwell as the the fresh memories stirred in her brain. Other than being married to Endymon, which she never knew before and would be fussing at Mamoru for not telling her, what Diamonde had said and done made her stomach turn and her head blur.

For the first time, she woke from her dreams remembering everything clearly. Diamonde's face and words. Why hadn't she remembered before? It was as if her memories had been tampered with, given to her and then sealed off again when she woke. Was Diamonde doing it? Somehow preventing her from remembering important information until it was too late? Did he have that kind of power?

Had Diamonde taken credit for the whole war with Metalania? She knew from her memories that it wasn't long after that confrontation that Beryl stormed the Earth's castle. Killing the King and Queen. But would he have gone that far, to kill his people and his planet?

She knew the answer to that as soon as the question filled her head.

Voices in the living room stirred her further, causing her to jump out of the bed and pull on whatever was most convenient. Which just happened to be her jeans and Mamoru's shirt. It hung long on her, down to her mid thighs. Her hair was still down from their shower earlier so she just pulled it up into a rough ponytail.

The lights of the living room and fading sunlight contrasted harshly with the darkness within the bedroom. All the Guardians where there, spread out around the living room, all of them talking strategy in small groups, the meeting not having officially started yet. They all grew silent at her presence, something they use to do in the Silver Millennium, but rarely did in this lifetime. She didn't care of the cause, either her appearance or her attitude, it didn't matter because she did in fact need all of their attention.

"It is worse than we thought girls." They all pricked up, shifting worriedly in their spots, "The Silver Millennium's end, Earth's war, and I'm pretty sure mine and Mamoru's parents' deaths were all because of him. It was always him. He is a monster and he has to be stopped."

Rei stood from her position, leaning on the couch arm, "What are you talking about Usagi? Who is responsible?"

"Diamonde."

Shit is about to hit the fan folks...


	19. Chapter 19

_**Okay so this is a short chapter but a lot gets explained. That said, I am not super happy with this chapter. I like some parts and I'm okay with others. Anyways, I will probably post another chapter later today if I get around to it. Currently working on two other stories simultaneously (which has NEVER happened before) while I have like five other stories on stand still till I get back to them.**_

 _ **Also, along with this FanFic, the sequel to Blood Countess is complete as well and...I love it soooooo much, I can't even begin to tell you. I am going to start releasing it as soon as this one wraps which is very soon. I was planning on waiting till closer to Halloween like I did to begin with and it seems as though it will be close regardless. Still don't have a name for it...(sigh).**_

 _ **My re-write of The Customer is Always Right is also complete. I just need to break it up into chapters and parts. It is going to be a three part-er now but the first two parts are the rewrite while part three is the 'sequel'. I think I'm going to post the first two parts in one go. Even though it is very different from the original, it still follows the plot pretty close. There are a lot of new scenes and new character developments that the original was lacking in. I like it much better personally.**_

 _ **Let me know what you guys think, about this chapter and my future plans. Trust me, I will read and listen to what you guys have to say.**_

 **Chapter 19**

" _No one ever told me how sorrow traumatizes your heart, making you think it will never beat exactly the same way again. No one ever told me how grief feels like a wet sock in my mouth. One I'm forced to breathe through, thinking that with each breath I'll come up short and suffocate."_

― _**Sarah Noffke**_ _,_ _ **Awoken**_

"What the hell are you talking about Usagi? How could he have been a part of all of that, he just now showed up!"

Rei's voice sounded panicked. She knew as well as her that what she was suggesting gave Diamonde a lot more power than they originally pegged him for.

"He was there, in the Silver Millennium. Don't you guys remember?"

They each shook their heads. Mamoru had joined the group, having been in the kitchen, "Mamo, you must remember? You always get your memories faster than me."

He looked at her with confusion, "I don't know what you are talking about Usa. I have no memories of Diamonde ever being in the Silver Millennium."

"You don't remember? He was one of my suitors? The most aggressive of them all, he was a Lord of a sister colony on the moon," she turned to Mina, "you use to joke and call them the 'Dark Moon'?"

She looked around the room at all the other faces that were staring at her, "Seriously? None of you remember?! Mamo, you almost killed him for trying to rape me in the garden. It happened right after we got married…"

"I remember we got married, but the only thing I remember after that was running back to the moon to warn you of Beryl and her horde."

She couldn't believe it. No one remembered him. Could it be that her scared and fractured mind had placed him in her memories. Was that possible? She was pretty sure it wasn't, Beryl had been in her memories and all of them had been accurate. Then how come no one else remembered him? She felt like she was going crazy.

And to add on to that, a bright ball of light had begun to grow in the dining room just behind everyone else. It grew larger and larger until a woman stepped through, dressed in a fuku of black and garnet. Her long black hair nearly swept the floor as she walked. Surely she had lost it completely at this point. The rest of the group turned to see what she was staring at and she thought for sure they wouldn't see what she was seeing.

But none of them seemed surprised by this new guardian and even waited for her to speak, "The Princess is correct. Diamonde, formerly Lord Diamonde, has been corrupting time. And now it is my job to punish him for doing so."

Ami stepped closer to the strange senshi, showing no signs of fear or confusion, "But Pluto, there is no way he is strong enough to pull off such a feat. And none of us have any memory of his existence past this lifetime."

Pluto, as she was called by Ami, raised her staff. A beautiful garnet rod that glittered in the dimming sunlight, "He has help, and he has used that help to also alter your memories, keeping certain parts from all of you. The only one who has the whole story is Serenity and this was part of his plan to keep control over her mind. But he made you forget as soon as you awoke, this way the others stayed in the dark. Only now, that you have the whole story, has he allowed you to keep it all."

The rod began to glow, small at first but only getting brighter and brighter as they all watched. Her friends, who trusted this senshi completely, closed their eyes, allowing the magic to wash over them. It did not touch her, however, maybe because she didn't need to recover her past like the others, or maybe because she was not a willing participant. Either way, everyone opened their eyes and released a breath they all seemed to be holding.

All eyes looked back at her with an eerie look of understanding. Mamoru just looked pissed, he must have just gotten the memory of her almost rape. It was clearly fresh on his mind as it was on hers. Had it been anything else, other than the truth about their past and what was now their present (and also somehow their future), she would have gloated about being right and felt pride at knowing something before Mamoru.

But there was no happiness in this information.

She looked again at the senshi that everyone trusted, the woman's eye full of knowing, "What about my parents? And Beryl? How much of the past has Diamonde had his hands in?"

The dark senshi gave her a sad smile, "Unfortunately, the Princess is right again. Diamonde was the one who directed Beryl to Metalania's resting place so she would awaken her. He knew of her jealousy and used that to his advantage."

Makato raised her hand as if we were in class, "Um, then how did he end up in the future? If he was part of the Silver Millennium and was reborn like the rest of us, shouldn't he already be here in this time instead of coming back and forth from the future time?"

Pluto shook her head, "He wasn't reborn, he was cast out, exiled to a planet called Nemis. It is a distant planet, barely considered part of our solar system. We had always thought it to be an empty waste land but somehow, Diamonde and his followers were able to gain more power on the planet. Their time on that planet is the key to their ability to time travel."

"I still don't understand," the miko fired back, "he goes to the future, then decided to go back in time and mess with our timeline as well?"

"He first tried to sneak in, playing the innocent card with the King and Queen, thinking they wouldn't remember him or what he had done. When they refused his 'family', he attacked but failed to get as close to the Queen as he wanted. You were all too powerful. So instead, he decided to go to the past and try to weaken all of you. Mainly focusing on the Princess."

"Why is he trained on Usagi?" Mamoru practically growled his question.

"Because, she is what holds us together, what makes us all stronger," Ami added, "add that and his obsession with her…"

"He had Beryl kill my parents. He told the Negaverse who I was and where to find me in this time. And then they attacked my family, thinking it would weaken me." Her voice sounded cold and strange even to her own ears, but everyone just listened on.

"In the original timeline, the Princess's parents live to see the start of Crystal Tokyo. They are at your wedding and even see the birth of Small Lady. Your parents were an ever present fixture in your life and supported you through many tough times. So much so, that Diamonde believed they were a source of your righteousness and purity. He thought in killing them while you were young and depriving you of their love would make you more susceptible to his...charms," Pluto gave her a sad smile, "but he was wrong, and in killing them he only made you stronger."

Angry tears fell unchecked down her cheeks, "That's what that woman said, she said Beryl messed up and made me stronger," she began to shake, uncontrollably till Mamoru put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "what about Mamoru's family? Did Diamonde have anything to do with their deaths as well?"

Mamoru was giving her a confused stare, so she turned her attention back to the strange senshi before them, who in turn gave a shook her head, "I'm afraid Mamoru-san's family was always destined to have a doomed fate."

She was wrong, she couldn't believe it, "But...why? Why does he deserve to be alone?!"

"But I'm not alone."

Usagi turned, facing him, expecting him to be mad for her accusations about his past. But instead she just found him looking happily at her. A look of a man who was truly peaceful with the lot in life he was given. Unlike her, he had come to terms with his lonely life a long time ago. Meanwhile, she felt as if she would never be okay with it all. With the loss of her parents, especially when she was never meant to experience it.

It felt as if her anger was going to make her explode. She had never felt this way before, about anything. It rolled off of her in waves that was not going unnoticed by the others, who seemed to be shimming away from her slowly. The only one brave enough to stay close was Mamoru, who continued to try and comfort her.

"What about my dreams? The ones I had telling me to keep away from Usagi?"

The Senshi shook her head, "The same magic that was used to haunt the Princess after her parents died was used on you. It would appear to be another gift given to Diamonde by his anonymous benefactor. A gift that was also bestowed to Beryl's men. He realised that the Princess was gaining her strength from you and not her parents. By separating you he hoped to weaken both of you."

Ami stepped forward, "But, Beryl wanted Usagi-chan dead. It doesn't seem as though Diamonde wants to kill Usagi-chan."

"But Beryl did try to use me to kill all of you remember?" All eyes turned to her and then they all seemed to shrink from her at the same time, her anger only barely under her control, "Beryl tried to kill me at first. But then completely changed tactics and tried to use me instead."

"Plus, with these memories, it seems to me like Diamonde doesn't really care whether Usagi-chan is alive or dead. He just wants to get as much out of her as he can, whether that is her full power or to get rid of the Silver Crystal as an obstacle, he doesn't care." Minako whimpered.

Makoto gave a hopeful look towards the Senshi, "Pluto, isn't there anything you can do to change all of this back?"

Now it was Pluto's turn to show anger, "Unfortunately, I can't. It is taboo to alter time like that and even though the crime has already been committed, I am not allowed to alter it back," she studied the room carefully, "It is the greatest crime, to change the flow of time like this, and they will be punished for this act."

A collective shiver ran down everyone's spine at her words. A warning to them. But, they couldn't alter time, could they?

"I must return to the gate of time. My Princess, Prince, and the Guardians, please be cautious. This time anomaly it treacherous. Nothing is set in stone anymore," she turned looking at Usagi and Mamoru, "Not set for anyone."

A flash of light and she was gone, as if never to have been there in the first place.

Minako gained everyone's attention with a snap of her fingers, "Okay, the timer on Diamonde's clock is almost up. Let's all split up and go keep an eye on anyone who is still in town from Usagi's party. I have a feeling Diamonde is going to keep all of this close to home." She began giving out orders, spreading out the Guardians around the city, "Mamoru, you stay with Usagi…"

"No."

Shock was evident on all their faces as they looked at Usagi, "Mamoru is one of the strongest between us. And I am strong on my own. We need as many bodies out there as possible protecting everyone. I doubt Diamonde is going to limit himself just to people who know me."

Everyone seemed to agree, heading out to begin their missions without another word.

The only one not to move was Mamoru, who waited till they were alone, "You want us to split up?" He was not happy, "Isn't that how Diamonde got you in the first place?"

"You think I want this? That I want to be separated from you? But we have no choice and you know that!"

Her anger was barely in control but she felt it melt away at the obvious discomfort she was giving him. His fist where clenched and his eyes and face where turned towards the floor, refusing to look at her.

Walking over to him, she placed a gentle hand on his chest, "I know this isn't ideal, but what choice do we have?"

He finally took his eyes from the floor to look at her, "I don't want to be separated from you, ever again. If he gets his hands on you again….I'll never forgive myself."

"It's not your fault Mamo-chan. It never was and it never will be."

He placed his hand on hers, the one that was lingering on his chest and pressed it so she could feel his heart below it, "What happened to 'we are stronger together'?"

She smiled, "Well I meant that more metaphorically than literally."

He pulled her in close with his free hand and she felt his heart pick up its pace with her nearness, "I am stronger because of you. And without you, I am nothing."

"As am I."

He pressed his lips to hers in a deep meaningful kiss, as if to prove that what he said was true. She felt his heart race under her hand, matching the tempo of her own. Their hearts in sync along with their minds. Truly, that was proof enough that they were meant to be, that they would make it together to have the happy ending they were denied so viciously before? There was no way they were reborn and put together once again only to have it stripped away again? But then again, fate was no longer in control anymore.

Usagi made it to the hospital in record time, Mamoru dropping her off before he left to begin his search for Diamonde. He was going to start at the cafe where she worked since Diamonde had visited there before as Gabriel. He was hoping that he could pick up a clue or even a 'scent' from his energy. But there was no telling if any remained having not been there for over a month now.

Shingo was going to start therapy soon for his arm. There was hope that he would be able to retain all motor function and that the nerve damage was not too severe. Otherwise he may not have any use of his arm.

Right now, he sat up in his bed, both arms resting on his lap with his control laying in his hands. His fingers flew across the plastic, pressing buttons in a fury as he worked his screen character to the max.

Looking up at the screen, a proud smirk found its way onto her lips. He was playing the Senshi Game. It was one based off of Sailor-V but now included all the other Senshi. What made her really smile was that, Shingo was playing as Sailor Moon.

Chibi-usa sat near him, just watching. It was a multi-level one player game and Shingo was far too protective of his score to let Chibi-usa have a chance. But Yukio was missing.

"Where's Yukio?"

Shingo did not allow himself to be distracted, so the answer came from Chibi-usa, "She had a few more tests she had to pass."

"Tests? To pass?"

"Yeah that's what she said. Like it was a written exam or something."

Yukio must have really wanted to be released. Even though she couldn't go very far even if she was. Usagi wasn't really sure but part of her felt like the hospital was the safest place for them for now. They certainly couldn't go home. And she was pretty sure Diamonde knew where Mamoru lived given that night he tried to put his fist through the glass. It seemed like a million years ago, when they were all blissfully ignorant to the danger that had been stalking them since the Silver Millenium.

Her anger was beginning to rise again and she knew she needed to get it under control. The last thing she needed was to go off on one of her loved ones or have her power take over and reveal all her secrets.

It was now four hours past Diamonde's ultimatum. She had expected him to just show himself immediately and start attacking. But he must be more reserved than she gave him credit. Now she was sitting on a tigger just waiting and slowly going mad.

Seven hours. Seven hours past the time limit and all of them had been spent cramped up in the small hospital room. Yukio had finally been released from the hospital, but now sat in the same small room as her. Chibi-usa was crawling up the walls to get out and it took every ability in reasoning that she had to convince Yukio not to leave with her, even for a little bit. The last excuse she gave was, Mamoru was going to stop by and pick her up any minute now. Even though she spent a large amount of time with her family, according to her story she belonged to Mamoru after all. So Yukio couldn't exactly go against his wishes.

She hadn't heard from Mamoru or any of the girls since they split up. They were all supposed to be on radio silence, at least with her. They couldn't exactly keep calling her on her communicator while she sat in the least private of places in the world. So she had to wait. If anything really big happened, like they found Diamonde or any of his cronies, they would call her on her cell.

It was another hour, another hour of waiting until she had had enough. She stood, storming out of the room with her family calling out to her. She flung the door open only to find herself in world war III.

Everyone was rushing around, nurses and doctors alike. She could make out bits and pieces here and there, something about moving people and making room. Moving further out into the hall, she tried to get more information off of a few nurses who stood motionless at their station. But their eyes were fixed to the small tv screen. She followed their gaze, finding it on an emergency broadcast. Something was going on in the middle of the Juban district.

She moved closer, pushing a few people out of her way. She felt Yukio join her, just behind her looking over her shoulder. Which she was glad for as her knees buckled at what she saw on the screen before her and Yukio just barely caught her.

A man with fiery red hair stood in between four women. One with green hair, another with light blue, the third had jet black hair, and the fourth had orange hair. Their presences wasn't altogether startling but what was was that they had the four guardians in front of them. Each trapped up in some kind of forcefield that oddly matched each of their powers.

She didn't understand, how was this happening? The captions below the man's face seemed to glow against the dark aura he was giving off.

 _Strange creatures have attacked the city. Taking the Sailor Senshi hostage...they want Sailor Moon...city will be destroyed if she does not show herself...along with Sailor Senshi….where is Sailor Moon?_

She couldn't waste any time, it was clearly a trap but no way in hell was she going to let her friends and the city suffer for her. She was stopped by any other movements by a hand grabbing her arm. Surprised, she found Yukio looking at her deep in the eyes with tears.

"Be careful….Please."

Dumbfounded, all she could do was give her a nod. Yukio released her and the two of them continued to stare at one another, the rest of the hospital disappearing leaving the two of them in their own little world.

"I know I can't stop you, it is your duty. I just ask that you come back to us. And sooner than a month this time please? I don't think I could take all that lying and pretending to be okay with your friend's cover story again."

Leave it to Yukio to figure it all out. She silently wondered how long her intuitive Aunt had known her secret?

"Now go. Before it's too late."

"They might come for you…"

"We will be fine."

For some reason, she believed it. That was all she needed before weaving her way out of the hospital, getting knocked back by a few nurses on her way. She passed by a waiting room with the sound of the tv blaring in the background. Glancing over at it made her pause as the scene she had seen before had changed. Fire and smoke surrounded the group and swirled dangerously close to them. The red headed man looked pissed and the helicopter camera finally revealed why. Tuxedo Kamen was now on the scene.

He was fighting for all their lives, alone.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Okay so I want to address this because, a guest asked and I want to make sure it is clear to all. Diamonde did not rape Usagi. I feel that rape is the most despicable thing a person can do to a person, other than murder a loved one. Which is why I had Diamonde do those things in the first place, he is a narcissistic sociopath. Some people write this part of the series and make Diamonde evil do to mind control by Wiseman like in the anime. No I wanted you to hate him, to make him a true villain, so I made him do truly horrible things. But he doesn't rape her because I am not that kind of writer, I just am not that dark.**_

Four more chapters to go and then I will be releasing Blood Countess part 2 and also my Customer is Always Right re-write that includes the conclusion. I left the original hanging for a sequel, this will cover that. Any who, enjoy lovies!

 **Chapter 20**

" _Isn't it time that these most ancient sorrows of ours_

 _grew fruitful? Time that we tenderly loosed ourselves_

 _from the loved one, and, unsteadily, survived:_

 _the way the arrow, suddenly all vector, survives the string_

 _to be more than itself. For abiding is nowhere."_

― _**Rainer Maria Rilke**_ _,_ _ **Duino Elegies**_

It felt like no matter how quickly she moved, it wasn't fast enough. Time seemed to slow down for her and only her as she lept from rooftop to rooftop. At least she was able to use this as her means of transportation. Every street she passed was bumper to bumper of people trying to flee the city for safety. The sounds of honking and screaming and shouting filtered up to her only fraying her nerves even more. Diamonde was wrecking this city in more ways than one.

She finally made it to her destination, standing on a nearby rooftop watching the scene below. Tuxedo Kamen stood before the group, his guard still up. She could see from there that three of the four women were missing, their bubbles of energy still wrapped around the Senshi, holding them in their prison even in their absence.

Leaping down, she now stood next to her love and the scoul the red head had only deepened. Now on the ground, she saw the three bodies of the women that Tuxedo Kamen must have taken out by himself. She wondered if it had been a fair fight, facing them one at a time. Looking over at Tuxedo Kamen closer, she could see the little signs of battle, his heaving chest and a few cuts and bruises. He had faced them all at once. Had it been one on one, he would have gotten out unscathed for sure. These creatures were not that strong.

She moved to take a step forward but Tuxedo Kamen's hand stopped her, grabbing her hand to still her. She gave him a questioning look but said nothing. The red head began to speak for him.

"Welcome Sailor Moon. Or should I say Princess Serenity? So many names, how do you keep up with them all?" The two of them were silent in response, waiting for him to continue, to let him get it all out as all their opponents always did, "Prince Diamonde sends his regards, and would like to remind you that this was all your fault…"

"The only person to blame for this is that asshole you call a Prince." Tuxedo Kamen spat back.

But the red head was barely deterred, picking up where he left off, "So as penance for your behavior, he has sent us to take those whom you hold the most dear away from you."

She pulled out her scepter and pointed it at him threatening, "Let them go and get out of here before I have to hurt you."

He laughed, "Even if I wanted to let them go, I can't. They are trapped in the Spector Sisters prisons. Nothing and no one can free them now, save for our Prince, Prince Diamonde of the Black Moon clan!"

He flexed his hand and all the Guardians disappeared before her eyes.

"NOOO! You bastard, bring them back! Bring them back to me right now!"

He laughed at her pain, "Sorry, but I don't take orders from you. If you want them back, you will have to take it up with Diamonde himself." He turned to the remaining woman beside him, "Petz, kill the man and then you and your useless sisters can come home."

The woman opened her mouth to protest, but the man shimmered away before she got a word out. Her eyes turned back to the two of them, a mixture of anger and fear mixed on her face. She must have known she was out matched but was given no other choice from her leader. The woman, Petz, put on a brave face and pulled all her energy together to attack both of them, focusing more on Tuxedo Kamen than her.

But Petz's heart wasn't in it, that was clear. The two heros dodged it easily and Petz used the distraction to rush to her sister's side.

They both walked over to her calmly as possible and Petz could only watch them as they approached, "Please, don't kill them. We were only following orders."

"Those orders got my sisters taken." She said it threateningly and Petz cringed.

"But if you could take us to where they are, we could help you and your sisters get away from them. Live out peaceful lives instead."

Petz shook her head at Tuxedo Kamen's words, "No. No way, I can't betray my family. They would kill us if I did."

Tuxedo Kamen didn't give up, "Look at your sisters, they have already betrayed you, this so called family of yours."

She did her best to hold in her anger and fear for her Guardians, "Please. As much as you love them," she gestured to the fallen women, "is how much I love the Guardians."

Petz looked at her sisters and back at the couple, "I can tell you where they are but it won't make a difference, your friends are already dead for sure."

"Then at least allow me to bring back their bodies." A tear slipped out at her words, even though she didn't want to believe them.

The other woman began to stir, regaining their consciousness slowly. Hope began to grow in Petz as she watched each of them open their eyes to take in the scene before them.

"Petz! What are you doing! Kill them!" The one with the black hair shouted.

The others looked on, confused and unsure. They also seemed to lack conviction in their orders. She jumped on the opportunity.

"You don't have to listen to those men, not any more. They left you here, certain that we would kill you!"

The blue haired one spoke next, "And if we return without killing you, they will kill us."

"You don't have to go back! You don't have to be their puppets anymore!" Tuxedo Kamen pleaded with them just as much as she did.

They each looked at one another, their future becoming more and more unsure, "Just tell us where to find them, the rest of the Black Moon clan and the Guardians. And then you can go, disappear into normal lives."

The last to speak, the one with orange hair looked at them sadly, "You will know soon enough."

As if on cue, the Earth began to shake, trembling the building around them so hard glass broke from the windows and fell. Tuxedo Kamen grabbed onto her, pulling her in close to protect her from whatever was coming. Then it all stopped.

They could see nothing, other than the rubble of the fight and the event. But both of them could sense it, something had changed.

Jumping up, they quickly climbing the highest building near them and once they cleared the top, her breath caught in her throat. A large crystalis now sat, bulging out of the ground like a black splinter.

"What the hell is that?"

The sisters appeared next to them, answering her question, "That is part of the black crystal. Wise Man has talked Prince Diamonde into thrusting it into Earth, just like he did in the future. Soon this whole planet will be dead. There is nowhere for us to run now."

Petz pointed back at the large crystal, "That is where your friends are. Victims of the black crystal's power."

It truly was a sight to behold, the crystal sticking out and up in dangerous points, "Go. Take your sisters and get as far away from here as you can."

Patz looked at her, confused, "What are the two of you going to do."

She just looked over at Tuxedo Kamen, a small smile on her face, "We are going to save the world."

They came to a stop at the base, looking upwards at the neverending blackness that stretched before them. Looking around, it seemed flawless, no holes or cracks, she had no idea how to get inside.

Taking a step forward, she intended to start her search, but he stopped her, grabbing her hand, "Wait." Looking over, she saw what looked like him in deep thought, his eyes squinted and searching. Then he stopped and pointed, "There."

Almost completely naked to the human eye was a small shelf leading into the crystal much like a balcony on an apartment. Smiling, feeling a little victorious, she readied herself again, but his hand still held hers tightly.

"Before we go in there and chaos ensues, we should take a minute."

"A minute to what?"

"Prepare ourselves."

He turned, standing in front of her and pressing his forehead to hers. A helicopter buzzed loudly above them but neither of them moved. Instead, they focused on one another and the task at hand. Now with both her hands in his, she stood completely still, eyes closed, listening to him breath. It calmed her frayed nerves completely, focusing herself.

"When we get out of here…"

"If we get out of here…"

"WHEN we get out of here, you should move in with me."

Now she broke their trance, looking up at him, "For someone who expects victory, you talk as if this is our last chance."

"I just want to give us something to fight for."

She chuckled, "The fate of our friends, family, the entire world, and our future isn't enough for you?"

"All of that, everything you just listed, all of that is you to me."

She leaned up kissing the tip of his nose and settling back on her heels, "There is a lot to consider before I can make that decision."

"You know what...nevermind."

"What? You are rescinding your offer? Already?"

"No, I still want you to live with me, I'm changing the offer."

"To what? How can you change such a thing without taking it away?"

"I want you to marry me."

She was speechless. She knew this was coming, but not for several years still and now she wasn't sure how she felt about being proposed to in such a way. It felt like a goodbye instead of a hello, a hello to their new lives.

She grabbed his face in her hands tight, "If you want me to answer that, then you will ask me again, when all of this is over. I will give you my answer when you ask me without that mask on your face."

Making sure he understood, her disdain for his masks, he smiled, "As you wish, my Queen."

"Cut that out, right now."

She released him and they returned to the task at hand. They would get their friends, her sisters back, and they would all return alive. She had an answer to give him when they did.

He took her hand again, this time in support not to still, "Whatever happens, we stick together, stronger together right?"

She gave him a nod and they leap as one to the 'balcony' finding a large opening waiting for them once they landed. Stepping into the darkness, she gripped Tuxedo Kamen's hand a little tighter, reassuring herself that he was still there. A light in the distance their only guide, they slowly made their way to it. Every step they took, she expected someone to pop out and try and stop them or run into some kind of trap, but nothing happened.

The light was so strange by the time they reached it, it was almost sad that such a light was trapped in this place too.

Once it touched her, she was blinded, squeezing ever tighter on her protector's hand, letting her eyes adjust. But once she opened them again, she wasn't inside the crystal. Tuxedo Kamen was nowhere in sight, his hand no longer in hers, and she started to panic. Tall flowers stood around her, their smell filling the air, a strong and pungent smell. A house stood behind her, it was large and solitary, light yellows and whites, reminding her of her Aunts but larger.

Rushing to it, she hoped to get some answers, maybe find Tuxedo Kamen or at least figure out where she was. The inside was cozy, warm greys and teals with the occasional pink hues. The layout was similar to her Aunt's as well. It was full of light, streaming in from the large windows that sat on almost every wall.

The kitchen was in full use, pots bubbling softly on the stove, each full of some delicious food that was almost done.

Out of nowhere, the door she just walked through swung open, people spilling inside. But she felt no fear, she recognised them in and instant.

Mina was going on and on about things that sounded like wedding details, while Ami tugged on a shy looking man to enter the place. Makoto followed after them, her belly swollen with child and looking uncomfortable. And lastly, Rei came, a young child on her hip, black hair swinging around her tiny shoulders just like her mother's. They all went straight to the living room, filling it with their warm and chatter.

She slowly stumbled over, like they were ghost, "Sorry Usagi, but Kade couldn't make it tonight. Something came up at work. But he promises to be there for the wedding rehearsal."

Mina giggled, her little joke lost on her, "Wedding rehearsal?"

The girls talked on as if they didn't hear her, "I should hope so, it is his wedding. At least 40% of it."

Mina waved Rei off, "Oh please, try 20%. He pretty much relinquished it all to me the minute I said yes."

They all laughed, they were all alive and happy.

All eyes turned to her, silence following till Makoto spoke, "Come on Usagi, go get that beautiful baby of yours, I am dying to see her!"

Stunned, she slowly turned, not wanting to leave her beautiful smiling friends, but curious at the same time. Glancing back at them over the banister, she slowly made her way up the stairs. Taking only a second to locate the nursery, it was everything she always imagined it would be. Pink hues everywhere and toys, lots and lots of toys. Stuffed animals in varying sizes sat happy in the corners and a cute mobile made of moons and bunnies hung over the crib that sat next to the wall.

Creeping over, she spied over, bright pink hair taking over her eyes at first, then the small body that laid beneath bunny covered cloth. She leaned over, watching her sleep for several moments, when arms found her, circling around her waist and resting on her belly.

His scent filled her nose and his head came to rest on her shoulder, his mouth at her ear as he breathed in her scent in return, "When are you going to tell them about baby number two?"

His hand flexed over her abdomen, making her suddenly very aware of the change in her body, the small swell in her uterus and breast. She looked down at the one life she had created, another growing inside her already.

Tears fell down her cheeks and he chuckled softly, turning her in his arms to face him, "Hormones again huh?"

"Mamoru?"

"Yes love."

"Where are we?"

He chuckled again, "In Chibi-usa's room of course."

She shook her head slowly, "No...I mean, where are we? Is this the future?"

A voice behind Mamoru filled the air, "If that is what you wish."

Mamoru looked as if he didn't hear the voice at all, her and the voice in their own little bubble, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, this could be your future, if that is what you wish. I can give it to you. All of your friends, alive and happy. You and your Prince, finally having the life you were meant to have before Diamonde took it from you all those years ago. No more fighting, no more Senshi, and no more Sailor Moon."

She sneered, "How would that be possible? If you are still here then Sailor Moon will always be needed."

"I am offering you a truce! Lay down your sword and I will cause you no harm!"

"You mean turn my back on the world so I can have some kind of happiness. At their expense!"

The voice grew silent and then the door to the nursery slowly opened, the door squeaking at the slow movements. Long, wavy, mostly grey with peaks of black hair came through the door and her heart stopped.

"Hi sweetheart," her mother whispered, "Everyone is waiting downstairs. We are all anxious to hear the big announcement."

Mamoru placed a kiss on her cheek and left them alone, closing the door behind them, "Announcement?"

"Yes, you know. The reason you had us all come here tonight?"

"Oh yes of course."

Completely thrown, all she could do was take in the sight of her mother. Aged several years, but still her mother, looking over Chibi-usa as she slept in her small crib, peacefully.

Then, her mother turned, placing her hand on her stomach, much like Mamoru had moments ago, "Although I'm pretty sure I already know what it is about! A mother always knows!"

She sobbed, grabbing her mother tightly around her neck and squeezing her tight, "Oh honey...hormones getting to you already?"

She nodded her head, her face firmly planted in her mother's hair, breathing in her scent like no tomorrow, "Yeah momma, hormones."

Pushing her back gently, her mother stood at arms length, "Well I'll let you compose yourself and meet you downstairs. Your father and brother have no idea by the way. But they will be through the roof."

"Dad is here too?"

Mom gave her a look, "Of course he is, he wouldn't miss it for the world!"

The door shut and she waited a second before she spoke again, "you are truly a wicked son of a bitch, using my parents against me."

Tears were falling freely as she spoke, the voice wasting no time to defend itself, "They were never meant to die in the first place, I am just correcting a wrong. You deserve to have everything Queen Serenity."

She laughed darkly, "That's it isn't it? You show me this world, make your promises, and then when I agree, no more Sailor Moon, no more Queen Serenity, no more Crystal Tokyo. That's what you really want."

The air filled with his dark laugh sending a shiver down her spine, "So what? You don't want it. You want a normal life with your precious Mamoru and your friends and family. I am only offering you what your heart truly desires."

She shook her head, anger building inside her, "That's not what I want. I could never build my happiness upon the despair of others. I am not like you or Diamonde. I fight for my own happiness, I don't steal it from others like a worthless coward!"

"You ungrateful brat! I offer you a life worth living and you spit it back in my face?!"

The walls began to shake with his words, "This isn't life, it's a fantasy! I want my real friends, my real family, and my real Mamoru!"

The walls shook then shattered like glass, plunging her back into darkness. The shards layed on the floor around her in a circle, she had broken the prison she was in.

Hands grabbed her face, "Usako?!"

She placed her hands over his, "Mamo-chan!"

He pulled her in tight to him, "This place is a labyrinth of tricks and illusions."

"What did it show you?"

He shuddered, "The same as before, you dead. Telling me if I didn't leave and never look back, you would be dead."

"Good thing you didn't listen."

"What did it show you?"

This time she shuddered, "I'll tell you later. Let's get out of here."

Okay so most of you know or remember that this Fic was inspired by the loss of my brother. The scene with her and her mom, kills me. Tears every time I read it. Hope it gave you the same reaction in a good way.

Happy Labor Day!


	21. Chapter 21

So I was going to post two chapters, but they were both short, together the length of one of my usual chapter lengths. So, instead, I combined them into one. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 21**

" _You cannot stop the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can stop them nesting in your hair."_

― _**Eva Ibbotson**_ _,_ _ **The Dragonfly Pool**_

They didn't wander long, finding themselves in a large room, a dias at the front of it. Diamonde sat upon the throne, glass of deep red wine in his hand, slumping deeply into the hard surface of the chair made of the same crystal that surrounded them.

"I must say, I am surprised to see you Sailor Moon, given your inability to...perform so close to the dark crystal before."

She smirked, "Guess all those doses of dark energy you gave me helped me build up an immunity."

He looked down at their hands, tightly knit together, as if noticing Tuxedo Kamen for the first time, "And you Endymon, I expected more from you. Take off that stupid costume of yours, it does nothing for you."

Light flashed next to her, leaving Mamoru in a set of black armor, dark blue tunic peeking out from underneath and a black cape on his back, "It this better?"

A large sword sat on his hip and Mamoru released her hand to pull it from its sheath, pointing it towards Diamonde without another word.

Diamonde just laughed, not moving from his spot, "I see you have come to...what? Defend her honor? That is so like you Endymon!"

"The name is Mamoru you delusional fuck," a smile creeped onto Mamoru's face, "And I don't need to defend anything, my sheets told me that a few nights ago."

She was confused, not sure what the hell Mamoru was talking about, but Diamonde flew into a rage, his glass flying against the wall, "How dare you, you Earthen scum! How dare you deflower her AGAIN!"

Mamoru began to circle as Diamonde rose, pulling his own sword out, "Do you hear yourself? You can't deflower someone twice! She is not Serenity and you are no longer a lord! Get that through your thick skull!" the two of them slowly circled one another, reminding her much of a cock fight, the kind between actual chickens, "Usagi, tell which hand he used to touch you, I'm going to cut it off right now!"

Mamoru was seething, anger rolling off of him like she had never seen before. He was finally facing the man that had dared to take and touch her, all the fear and anger it had caused them releasing itself and aiming right at Diamonde. Mamoru reminded her more than ever of Endymon in that moment.

Diamonde looked as if he might spit fire himself, "You once again threaten our pure blood line, I will not stand for it!"

"Look at her you prick! She is human! She is no longer a lunar, there is no lunar blood to taint!"

"I know that! But she is still the aire to the lunar throne and therefore too good for the likes of you!"

They both froze, the fight seconds from beginning, "Sailor Moon, go and find your guardians!"

"I thought we were to stick together?"

"I will handle this quickly and find you soon," he took his eyes off of his opponent, a foolish move but he did it more to reassure her, "I love you. Now go!"

She sprinted from the room, the sound of swords clashing together behind her. The fight that started centuries ago was going to end finally, tonight.

It was true, Diamonde deserved her boot up his ass, but it all fairness, Mamoru or Endymon had been waiting to slice through him for longer than she had. In a way, he had already claimed Diamonde as his target and she was a big enough person to give him to Mamoru. His need to "defend her honor" was great and it would calm a thousand year old itch that Mamoru had needed to scratch. She had bigger fish to fry anyways.

The crystal was even more of a labyrinth than the palace had been, turn after turn, it all seemed endless. She finally reached the center, large amounts of dark energy pulsing into the ground from the sky above. Sapphire stood before it on a raised platform near it, watching his work unaware. The man had far too much confidence in his Prince and himself.

Silently making her way up the stairs she kicked him from behind, pushing him to the floor and pressing her forearm against his neck with her knees firmly planted on his arms.

His laugh was garbled, the pressure she applied to his neck causing it, "Not nice to attack people from behind. What would your Senshi say to that?"

"They would fuss at me for not killing you on sight, Now where are they!"

"Why, they are right below us. Go on now and save them. If you can."

Fire licked at her shoulders, throwing her backwards. Opening her eyes she found four pair of angry eyes staring back at her.

"Guys?"

They each raised a hand, setting their sights on her. She jumped out of the way just as the full power of her own Guardians was released on her, destroying the spot she occupied a second ago. She Senshi had been turned and if she didn't think of something fast, she would be forced to kill them or let them kill her.

Icy bubbles flew at her, forcing her to tuck and roll, hitting her back up against the platform before the dark energy intake. Sapphire's dark laugh filled the room, watching from the platform above her.

"Like my little puppets? They were more than willing to accept the dark energy I gave them. See, you should have just given in to my brother. You could be Queen right now, with your Senshi at your side!"

"Crazy assholes, the lot of you!"

Electricity ran across the floor and she tried to run but it followed her, shooting up her spine and forcing her body to twitch and convulse on its own. She laid on the ground, her hands before her and her knees under her. She could smell the smoke that came off of her, Makoto's attack singing within her still. But it could be worse, much worse. They were still pulling their punches, that much she was sure.

Looking up, she slowly found each of their eyes, assessing just how deep the energy was in each of them now. It held tight to their brains, controlling them, but it did not touch their hearts, the only thing keeping her alive right now.

"What are you waiting for? Kill her!"

Sapphire was almost manic, shouting at them his fear evident. Clearly, he had noticed his loose hold on them as well.

In one bound, she stood behind Sapphire, her arm around his neck from behind, the other pulling it to her it a T shape, choking him while restraining him at the same time.

"Release them." He just laughed, "I said release them!"

"Or what? You'll kill me? You don't have it in you. I knew from the moment I met you, you are no killer!"

She shifted the both of them so his body stood dangerously close to the edge of platform, making it so one tiny slip and he would fall into the large hole dark energy pushed through, "Oh yeah? When you met me, was that in the Silver Millennium or at Crystal Tokyo? Before you killer my mother and father, kidnapped me, pumped me full of negative energy, served me up on a platter to your sadistic brother, and had me so disgusted with myself that I slit my own wrist. And now you have taking away my sisters, so tell me again, how I'm not a KILLER?!"  
Now he was nervous, quaking in her arms, "fine, then kill me. It won't change anything. You and all those you love are going to die."

She inched him closer to the hole, his feet now dangling over the edge, "Don't do it!"

Looking over her shoulder, she saw all her Senshi now of their knees behind her, "Don't do it Sailor Moon, it's not who you are."

Still holding him so he could see, she turned both of them around to face the four of them, "But...how?!"

She spoke right into his ear, making sure he could hear her, "Because they are my closest and dearest friends. They know that if I killed someone I would regret it for the rest of my life. Even if that person was as slimy as you!"

She released him and he fell to his knees in front of her. She sidestepped him, running to her Guardians and forgetting the now broken man behind her. Falling to her knees before them, they all wrapped their arms around her as soon as she touched the ground.

"All of you should get out of here. Before he finds you."

She looked at him over her shoulder, not letting go of her friends, "Mamoru has Diamonde handled."

Sapphire shook his head, sad, "No not him, Wiseman."

"Who the hell is Wiseman?"

She looked at Makoto and then back at Sapphire, pretty sure she already knew the answer, "He is my brother's own Metalania. A powerful creature that used my brother's desires against him and us. He gave us power, more than we could ever dream of, and a promise that all we desired would be ours. But he is a parasite, taking just as much as he gives and it won't be long now before he comes to my brother to collect."

The five of them stood, some a little shaky, but they were up, "You should leave. Get as far away from here as possible and find your friends...the sisters."

"They live?"

She tilted her head, looking at him sadly, "I thought you said I wasn't a killer?"

"But we deserve to die...all of us."

She shook her head, saying nothing else, letting the man have his little pity party. She didn't have the time or energy to buck his spirits up, she knew he would get out soon. It would be someone else's job then.

With the help of Mercury's computer, they found the room she had left Mamoru and Diamonde in, Diamonde on the floor now, breathing heavily. Mamoru looked hardly phased, standing over him with his sword thrusted at his heart. She noticed that Diamonde's sword was a few steps away from him, while he held his arm tightly to his body. She looked again, closer, and noticed that, Diamonde's hand still clutched his sword. Mamoru had followed through with his word, he had removed the hand Diamonde had touched her with. Diamonde's eyes danced over to hers, rage clear behind them.

"What did you do? Did you...give him your power?!"  
She shrugged and held up two fingers, "Just a little bit."

Rage rolled off of him, even as he sat on the cold floor, "You shouldn't have done that! It was not yours to give!"

Rei scoffed, "If it's not hers, then whose is it?"

Diamonde spat at her, "Our people's. The lunars! It is the ancient power of the Goddess Selene and never meant to be in the hands of a mere human! You had insulted our people and our God!"

Mina put her hands on her hips, not afraid of him in the slightest, "Pretty sure you did that when you had the ENTIRE race alighalated!"

"Our race isn't dead you twit, they live inside of her! Every single life that ever existed on our planet now lives inside of her!"

He was pointing at her but it only seemed weird, an entire race living inside of her? "Is that what you think?"

"It is what I know!"

"And that is why you are so determined to rule her," Mamoru's sword dipped closer to Diamonde's chest, millimeters from cutting flesh, if he wasn't already, "control her and you control all the lunars, just like you always wanted."

A shiver of disgust ran up her spine, "Will you ever stop trying to use me Diamonde?"

He sneered over at her, pleased with her reaction, "Not as long as you have what I want!"

Mamoru steadied himself, ready to plunge the sword into Diamonde's chest, "No! Stop!"

Every eye in the room turned to her, questioning, but Diamonde laughed, "You think you can still save me and yourself? You are all doomed, as long as blood pumps through my veins you will never be rid of me."

"That's all I needed to hear." Mamoru raised his sword again, but this time she stopped him, touching his arm gently.

He stood back but only slightly, letting her stand over Diamonde but not removing his sword from him, "I don't want this on your conscious," she looked down at the monster below her, feeling satisfied as he cowarded beneath her, "Besides, he will get what is coming to him soon enough," she leaned down, speaking in a hushed whisper, "That's what happens when you make a deal with the devil."

His eyes went wide and as if waiting for her cue, a black hole appeared behind the cowering man. Mamoru moved to stand in front of her, blocking her from the swirling vortex before them. The man she had seen all those nights ago, the one who stopped her escape twice and the one who tried to trap her in a dream, floated before them.

Diamonde's face changed, going from scared to smug, "Now we shall see who will get what is coming," he stood next to the hooded man, pointing over at the two of them, "Wiseman, kill them!"

Wiseman didn't move or say a single word, his black cloak hiding his eyes and causing a chill to creep up her spine. Diamonde ordered him again to kill them all, but he made no move to do so, only turned to face Diamonde who went pale.

"No I don't think I will."

Diamonde dropped to the ground, pushing himself across the floor away from Wiseman, "What?"

Gone was the bravada his voice held a second ago and now he was back to the snivelling creature on the floor, "I have something much better than a weakling who dares to call himself a Prince," Diamonde shook on the floor, fear coursing through him and she couldn't help to feel sorry for him, "Your purpose has been served Diamonde, goodbye."

Wiseman raised a hand, a dark light coming to his hand. She thought he was powering up to strike Diamonde down. But when seconds passed and he had more than enough to finish the job, she realized the energy wasn't coming from Wiseman, it was coming from Diamonde. His life force was being drained from him.

"Stop!"

Even she was surprised by the word coming from her mouth, but Wiseman didn't so much as flinch, Diamonde falling to the floor, a husk of the man he once was. A tear slipped down her cheek, the only one she would allow herself to give to the dead man on the floor.

"You are crying? For him?" Wiseman laughed, "You truly are as naive as they say you are. The things that man did to you and the things he planned to do still. It made even me pity you."

The guardians surrounded them, ready for the true battle that was about to begin, "But, I still don't pity you enough. I will have what I want."

Ami stood directly behind her, "And what is that Wiseman?"

He chuckled, "Even the smart one hasn't figured it out? I want power of course. Enough power to take this world for my own and never be cast out again!"

His arm stretched out, a subspace pocket appearing and disappearing in an instant. And there in his grasp was none other than a terrified Chibi-usa.

Her tiny body scrunched up as much as possible, her fear balling in on itself in a physical representation.

"Chibi-usa!"

Their own fear was palpable in their voices, something Wiseman was counting on, "Once I take this child's life energy, I will have more than enough to kill you Queen Serenity."

"No!"

Tears fell freely down her face and the face of her daughter, feeling hopeless, "Oh yes! With both the Lunar and the Earthen blood coursing through her veins, she is more powerful than the two of you combined."

"Please! Don't, she is just a child!" Mamoru held fallen to his knees begging the creature before them.

"A child? What does that matter? Do you even know what this child did? She is responsible for the fall of Crystal Tokyo!"

She stared back at the faceless blackness, "That's not possible. Chibi-usa would never do anything to hurt anyone!"

He gave Chibi-usa a shake and she nearly jumped him, the guardians holding her back, "Tell them. Tell them what you did!"

Chibi-usa let out a sob, her guilt bleeding outward, "It's true...it's all my fault!"

"No, Chibi-usa. That can't be true!"

She silenced Rei with her hand on hers, waiting for the girl to continue, "I took it...I took the silver crystal. Mommy was defenseless when they attacked because of me! If I hadn't...I just wanted to be strong like mommy, to prove I was a Lunar Princess, that I was theirs!"

Silence fell over them, causing her laugh to sound so much louder over it, "That's what you did? Chibi-usa, the crystal is your birthright. It was yours to take from the day you were born."

"But...but mommy."

"I wouldn't have been able to use it to stop this even if I did have it. Didn't anyone ever tell you? The silver crystal passes from mother to daughter as soon as they are born. It stopped being mine the minute you took your first breath outside the womb. It and its power, now lie inside you, Chibi-usa," she lowered her voice to a whisper, her eyes locked on Chibi-usa, "So use it…"

Her big blue eyes cleared, her tears drying in an instant. She gave her one last small nod and mouthed to her, 'breath'. It was like a flash in a pan, her power coming out of her so strong and wild. Wiseman bucked backwards, dropping her child but she dived forward, catching her before she hit the ground.

The hood of his cloak was knocked back, finally revealing the corpse that hid beneath it all that time. He flickered, disappearing but she knew he was still there, somewhere. A circle of arms wrapped around both of them, pulling them both up from the ground. A bright light appeared near them and she readied herself. But Chibi-usa stopped her, telling her to wait.

Pluto popped out of the hole of light, looking and searching the room, not looking surprised to see them as they were her, "The time criminal is here."

"He calls himself Wiseman." Makoto told her.

But Pluto shook her head, "That is not his name."

A loud boom came from over head, shaking the whole structure, "We need to get out of here!"

Mina pulled on the two of them, Chibi-usa still in her arms. Another loud boom came from outside and Mamoru put an arm around her shoulders as they all ran.

Mamoru guided them all to the entrance they had taken, jumping out as quickly as possible. Pluto stood next to her, Chibi-usa reaching out a hand to touch the Guardian's shoulder. They all searched the skies, looking for the source of the destruction around them. Her heart lept into her throat at the sight. It was a planet, breaking through Earth's orbit. And the most unsettling part of all, the planet had a face.

"That is Nemis, Wiseman's true form."

She glanced over at the Senshi of time, her serious stance causing her to blanch, "That...planet...is 'alive'?"

"The creature that was Wiseman was banished to Nemis centuries before Diamonde and his followers. Instead of dying, he slowly ate the planet's power, becoming one with it. Wiseman was just a physical manifestation of Nemis. The closest to being human as it could get."

Tears sprung in the corners of her eyes, "Oh God. How am I supposed to stop a whole planet?"

A warm and heavy hand fell on her shoulder, breaking her eyes from the looming doom before them, "With us, by your side."

The rest of her Guardians stepped up and even Chibi-usa pulled out the crystal that hung around her neck, just how she use to wear it. She set the small girl down and beamed with pride as she stood strong beside her.

"Let's end this and go home everyone."

"And go to the beach!"

A small but warm laugh came from the group, Chibi-usa's declaration giving them all a much needed reprieve.

They locked hands, forming a perfect circle, even Pluto joined them. Their powers brimmed within them, begging to be released. Without a word, they all released their gift towards the planet hurling towards them above. The energy popped and cracked against the surface, pushing against it. She looked up, watching as the planet began to slowly move backwards. To her horror, the planet sneered, and then began sucking in the power they sent at it. This was not going to work.

She dropped the hands she held, much to the protest of all of them, "This isn't working, we are only feeding the beast."

Chibi-usa looked between all of them, "What can we do then?"

Her eyes were still trained on the monster above, taking a small step forwards, but being stopped, "No. No you can't do it. Not again."

She turned, smiling softly to him, "What choice do we have?'

He didn't have an answer, he knew the truth, releasing her. She looked at all the faces of her friends, even Pluto shed a tear.

"I need all of you to lend me your strength," they sobbed, feeling hopeless, and she could feel it from them, "Hey, it will be alright. I'm stronger than when I faced Metalania and we all survived then didn't we?"

"No we didn't."

She turned, Rei glaring at her, "It will be alright. I promise, I will come back, alive."

None of them looked like they believed her, but what choice did they have? She was the only one who could take all of their powers into herself and use them. As Princess Serenity, she had loved the Earth and the Moon, and it became her destiny to protect them when she was reborn.

She knelt before Chibi-usa, confusion covering her face as she had no idea what to expect, "Remember all those stories your Daddy told you? The ones about Sailor Moon? She always wins right? And comes home?"

"Yes."

"Well this time is no different. But now I need your help. I need you to be strong and help me and the others. Can you do that?" she gave a small nod, "Good girl."

She let her powers flare within her, pushing herself to her limit and then pushing just a bit more. The shield that had formed around her and Chibi-usa all those long days ago returned, lifting her off the ground, slow at first, but then taking off like a rocket. Soon she was face to face with Nemis, its dark and sinister glare inches from her face.

When it talked, the 'mouth' didn't move, as if it was talking in her head, "They send their ruler to face me? Not very smart. What will they do after I kill you?"

"They will do just fine, killing you in my place. If that were to happen, which it won't."

Wind passed by her, sucking inwards towards it, "Mmmmm you smell delicious. All that power you hold is absolutely deletable."

"Oh where are my manners. Would you like some?"

She pushed her power with all her might into him and he purred as he ate it up. But she had more, so much more to give. Then she felt it, the powers of her Senshi. It was like a warm hug, tugging on her heart in a pleasant way. Then came Mamoru's power, an even larger boost that doubled hers in an instant. Nemis started to gurgle, his purr turning to something a bit darker and touched on pain.

Then one last power added to hers, one so powerful it almost knocked her over. It was Chibi-usa. The combination of hers and Mamoru's power in one tiny package, coming to her all the way from the future.

Then Nemis's sounds turned to one of anger, the kind of anger that comes when you know you are going to fail. The pain was clear on his...face. She pressed on, pushing herself to the limit and receiving a high reward.

The planet cracked, then split apart, it's pieces floating apart in space. Agony filled his voice as he let out one finally scream, before falling silent again. The battle was over, but the large pieces that were once Nemis were still in danger of crashing to the Earth. She pushed hard still, her energy already close to depletion, knocking the pieces together until they were nothing more than star dust floating across the sky.

But she was still not done. The Earth had taken a lot of damage, the dark crystal still embedded in its surface. She pulled deep, the last reserves of her energy working to pull the crystal out and heal the wounded Earth.

She had finished, breathing heavy, having just barely enough energy to return herself safely to the Earth's now blemish free surface. She felt something behind her, a sucking sensation and sound forming behind her. Before she had a chance to turn and face it, she was sucked in, blackness swallowing her whole.

She could feel her body being tossed around, aimless, but she couldn't see or hear anything else. Just a voice that rang out in the dark.

"If I have to suffer an eternity in the dark, then I am taking you with me!"

It was Nemis, his voice ringing painfully in her ears. In his last attempt to win, he had sucked her into oblivion with him. A dark and empty cage for them to forever toss and turn in.

"At least Earth is saved."

He didn't respond, his consciousness having already been spent and dissipating into the nothing less void. There was nothing more she could do now but to wait and join him. And so she waited...and waited….and waited.

It was beginning to seem that she was not going to pass on, that she would forever be in the dark with nothing and no one to hold onto. This was what he wanted, her to spend eternity fumbling alone. He had won. Even though his prize was not as great as he originally intended, it was still a harsh blow. Crystal Tokyo would cease to exist and Chibi-usa would never be born. The thought of her beautiful child never getting the life she deserved was more than enough to break her. Her sobs echoed off into nothing, curling in on herself, letting herself completely break.

A tiny pinhole of light formed off in the distance, so small yet in the darkness, it might as well have been the sun. It grew, slowly but surely until it was the size of a person. And she knew this because two people stood within it.

"Hello honey."

"Sorry we kept you waiting for so long sweetheart. It took longer than expected to get here."

Standing before her, taking away the dark, was her mom and dad.


	22. Chapter 22

So I just glanced over at the word counts of my chapters. Man I am inconsistent! But that's not why I break them up the way I have. Just realized CH 17 was 10,000+! Maybe I should have broken that bad boy up. Oh well, too late now. This one is short I know but I will post the next and final chapter very soon.

Wanna give a big shout out to my lovely Facebook friends on Ninjette Twitch Fic Friends page. So happy to be a member, I love having you guys to chat with and share with. A big shout out to Ninjette Twitch for becoming my Beta and letting me be hers in return. If you haven't checked out her stuff DO IT! She is fantastic! Also Astraearose-Silvermoon (check out her stuff too, love Destiny Sisters!), DesertChik (you really made me happy the other night with that comment. Glad to have a fan!), Revy679 (for just being so freaking cool in general), Phillynz (for being a fan for longer than I realized), and always TropicalRemix (for the love her works and for being just so supportive of so many us, let's be honest!)

Also to Beejee88 who has an awesome fic out as well, really talented writer, just started the sequel to it (haven't gotten to it yet but I will ^_~). **And seriously, if you favorited, followed, or reviewed any of my stuff, I thank you with all my heart. I do this in large part for all of you!** The rest, I do for me (WAHAHAHAHA!)

 **Chapter 22**

" _Here is a commandment for you: seek happiness in sorrow. Work, work tirelessly."_

― _**Fyodor Dostoyevsky**_ _,_ _ **The Brothers Karamazov**_

Her body flew to them by command of her soul. They grabbed onto her, holding her so tight she felt she might pop. But she didn't complain and they didn't loosen their hold.

"Oh baby, we missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too!"

They let her go, just enough to look at her, "You've grown!"

She shook her head hard, "No I haven't!"

Her father nodded, agreeing with her mother, "You have. Her heart is so much bigger now."

"Must be that young man, what's his name dear? Oh yes, Mamoru, that's right."

Her father actually nodded in agreement with her mother, "Yes, yes a fine man indeed."

"Wait, wait you know about Mamoru?"

Her mother wore a sad smile, "Of course dear, we have been with you from the start."

"And dad...you actually..approve?"

He shrugged, looking a bit miffed but like his hands were tied, "It's not like I can deny you a love that has stretched as far as the two of yours has. Even if I did, you would just find each other in the next life."

Her mother patted his shoulder, approving of his answer, "That's right dear, we just want you to be happy."

Her father clapped his hands together, excited, "Now, are you ready to go home?"

"Are you guys here to take me with you? To heaven?"

They both laughed, "Oh goodness no dear. We are here to send you home, back to your friends and loved ones. It is not your time yet sweetheart."

She shook her head, "But how? We are stuck here!"

Her father pointed at her chest, touching her brooch but pushing harder still to include her heart, "You have the power, right here."

She pulled the brooch free, the lid opening and the crystal glowing in response. She looked up at the two of them, "I can take us all home. You can come with me."

Her father wrapped an arm around her mother's shoulders while she gently shook her head, "No dear, our time is up."

"No it's not! You were never meant to die! You were supposed to live. To be there for all my moments, for all of Shingo's moments. I didn't wish for it then, when I killed Metalania but I didn't know then that it wasn't meant to be. That Diamonde took you from me before your time! But I will wish for it now!"

Her mother clamped her hand over her crystal, the glowing growing steadily still, "No honey. You can't. We may have been meant to be by your side alive, but that is all gone now. But we will still be by your side. We will be at your High School graduation…"

"And when you graduate College," she laughed, but her father just looked at her, "I've seen how hard you have been working lately!"

"We will be at your wedding and when you have your first, second, third, fourth child and beyond."

She laughed, tears streaming down her face, they both wiped them away for her, her father bringing her in for one last hug, "We have been by your side the whole time and we always will be. But to bring us back, would be a crime and unnatural. We wouldn't be the same anyways. But, you know that already don't you sweetheart?"

She nodded her head against his shoulder, taking the opportunity to breathe in his smell one last time. Cinnamon and sage. Her mother joined them, crushing herself to them. Honey and vanilla. Breathing deep, she could feel them start to fade, or rather, she was starting to fade. The crystal was pulling her free of the abyss and her parents' arms at the same time. It was now time to let go.

They waved as the light over took her, her protective bubble forming once again, pulling and tugging her towards home. She imagined this was what a comet felt like, breaking free of the cage she had been in and falling back down to Earth like a falling star. She streaked through the sky, looking down she could see tiny ant looking people as they pointed up at her. None of them seemed to be afraid so neither was she.

She crash landed in water, but she had no clue where. Her bubble popped soon after landing, water flooding her. She kicked and wiggled, but she was finding it difficult to move her body. How long had she been trapped?

A hand dug into the waters, grabbing her collar and pulling her to the surface. Her head hit the surface and, the air her lungs begged for, she sucked down greedily. She floated on the water's surface, letting her rescuer pull her to land. Once on the grass, she looked around, trying to figure out just where the hell she was. Everything was just a bit too bright, having gotten so use to the darkness. It overwhelmed her senses, making it hard for her to comprehend anything else. Taking longer than usual for her to come around out of stupor.

She was sure her landing in water hadn't been pure luck, that the crystal had steered her there. So it would stand to reason that she would land somewhere close to home, a place she would recognise. The crystal tied so closely to her heart, it would follow her heart's demands and take her somewhere important at least. She shuddered at the thought of landing in a different content, not being able to make it home without some serious struggle.

There was a bridge and a river, the one she had crashed into. Trees surrounded it and even though it was beautiful, there was no one else there besides those who had been waiting for her. The crystal had taken her to their bridge, hers and Mamoru's. A towel fell around her shoulders, and for the first time she looked to her savoir, finding seven.

They all had tears of joy in their eyes, so much so they seemed unable to approach her, "Hey guys. Long time no see!" her voice croaked out of her, a mixture of happy tears and lack of use. They crashed into her, crushing her to the ground, "Guys, can't breathe!"

They released her, sitting back on their heels, Mamoru stood off to the side, dripping, having yet to approach her with Pluto standing next to him, "Pluto? What are you doing here?"

The woman just smiled, letting the others fill her in, "When you disappeared, we all freaked out until Pluto told us what happened to you."

Makoto kept a hand on her shoulder as she spoke as if to make sure she was still there, while Rei looked as though she was barely holding it together, "But all she could tell us was that you were alive and that you had a test you had to take. She wouldn't tell us what it was or if you would pass it or not."

Rei glared at the older Guardian, who only shook her head at the hot tempered one, "There are things, Rei, that even the Guardian of Time does not yet know."

"A week! You have been gone a week Usagi-chan!" Ami sputtered as she spoke.

Mina was the calmest of all but not by much, "Then she showed up an hour ago, telling us you had passed the test and would soon return, telling us to wait for you here."

Her eyes danced around the group, searching frantically, "Where's Chibi-usa!"

"She is fine," his voice was smooth like silk, "She is back home."

She slumped back down, "That's good but….I didn't get say goodbye."

Pluto giggled, a strange action from the usually stoic Guardian, "You will see her again….soon. Sooner than you think."

Glancing over at Mamoru, she blushed deeply and hid her face from the others as they started to whoop and holler.

"And Yukio? Shingo?"

Ami laid a hand on her knee, keeping her in place, as if she knew she was about to jump up and find out herself if they didn't answer, "They are fine. Shingo is doing well in therapy and they have all been staying with Mamoru while the house is fixed."

"Fixed? But…."

"Don't worry about that now."

Mamoru had a small smile on his face, ignoring her inquisitive stare, something telling her that she should be grateful and angry at him about something.

Pluto turned, making her leave, "Wait! So it's all over then? The Earth is saved?"

She flashed her a sad smile, "Yes...for now."

And in a flash, she was gone.


	23. Chapter 23

Not gonna lie, the lack of reviews for the last chapter, very sad. Got one. Thanks Beej88! Anyways, this is the end my friends! It was one hell of a ride and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Well, actually, I hope you enjoyed it more than me ^_~

I once asked for suggestion on Fic to read so this time I'm going to give you guys some (you know, something to read while you wait for my next story LOL!). So here you go lovelies!

If you want a good AU: Ninjette Twitch and Revy679 have some seriously good stuff! They are quick reads too so if you don't have a lot of time or are the mood for a mix of things, they are a fantastic choice.

For SM reality fics: You CANNOT go wrong with Beej88. Her stuff is magic! She is new to the FF writing world so make sure you show her some support while you are there!

For mind bending and though provoking works: Check out astraearose-silvermoon. She will have you questioning life when you are done, in a good way!

And if you want fun and quickly updated works of a wide variety: Tori-Lee has it ALL!

Seriously though, all these guys are so talented and supportive. So glad to have you guys as my friends! And all of you reading this now, thank you for your time and support. Now go give that time and support to the lovely ladies I listed above, you will not be disappointed!

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

" _Be like a branch of a tree; flex your body to face 'wind of sorrow'; flex little harder to dance in the 'wind of happiness'."_

― _**Santosh Kalwar**_

She pulled the door shut behind her, dropping her keys on the counter and flipping through the stack of mail in her hands, all of it junk mail as it should be, no one lived here anyone technically. Not since they got the hole in Yukio's house fixed.

"Mamoru? Where are you?"

Silence. She glanced at her watch. She had actually beat him here.

Her phone buzzed, the call she was dreading finally coming. Looking down at the screen she saw Haruka's name flashing on it. She quickly declined the call rolling her eyes as she did. She loved that woman to death, but she was worse than Mamoru with his over protectiveness. Keeping the phone out, she sent her a text in response, because heaven help her if she didn't. The blonde would be pounding on the door in less than 30 minutes.

" _I'm with Mamoru, perfectly safe."_

A few seconds later, her phone dinged.

" _Depends on your definition of safe…"_

She let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head as she typed.

" _The doors are locked, the windows are shut tight, and I'm on the pill, can't get more safe than that!"_

Finally, her phone remained silent. She knew a TMI would be all it took to get Haruka off her back for a while.

Leaning back against the breakfast bar, she looked around Mamoru's old apartment. He currently resided with her in her bedroom but she convinced him to keep this place as literally their 'shag pad'. Even though they had explained everything to Yukio and she understood, even called them married, she still didn't feel comfortable don't much with Mamoru while under the same roof her baby brother was sleeping under.

Now the place was abandoned, save for their little visits which were quite frequent actually. Glancing back at her watch again, she was that she only have a minute or two before he would arrive, his punctually making him predictable.

Getting a mischivous look on her face, she started to strip, heading for the bedroom, and leaving an item of clothing every few steps. Just a few bread crumbs for him to follow. Her bra and underwear last, sitting right outside the door, she got settled under the covers just as she heard the front door open.

"Usa?"

She heard him mumble something about a mess, actually picturing his face as he picked up her sweater off the floor first then her jeans, realization hitting him and dropping them back to the floor when he saw her bra, leading him to her underwear.

He appeared in the doorway and she smirked at him from under the covers. They remained silent as he took the few steps to the bed, falling onto it and her.

She squealed, even his clothes were cold from the outside. He wore a devious grin, digging under the covers and finding her warm flesh with his freezing hands. She squirmed, screaming as he touched whatever he could catch him his ice cold hands. Only stopping to rub his equally cold cheek against her warm one.

"Hmmm..you are so warm…"

He was purring in her ear, the sheet and his clothes still between them, rubbing up against her, "You'll be warm soon enough, if you hurry up and get your clothes off."

* * *

Clothes long forgotten, all piled around them on the floor, they rested under the sheet. He buried his face in her neck, the two of them catching their breath. He still held her tight, the both of them still coming down from their high and she was still tingling all over from it.

"See...told ya...you'd be ...warm."

He nodded in response, unable to form words just yet as he usually couldn't right after they finished. It was a quality she found endearing, that he worked so hard to please her that he knocked the breath out of himself. And she found it validating to know she could literally leave him speechless.

He rolled off of her, pulling her with him to coil into one another. A few moments passed in complete silence, the only sound in the room their breathing, She thought he had drifted off to sleep and was about to join him.

"We should just sell this place and get our own."

"And what about Shingo?"

"What do you plan to do about him when we are married?"

"Well of course he won't live with us after we get married. But that is still a ways off from now."

"It has been a few months now you know...since we dealt with Diamonde. We even have a new enemy to deal with."

"Yes….and?"

"You never answered my question?"

"Yes I did, you moved in with us. We now live together."

"You know very well that is not the question I mean," she giggled at his obvious frustration, "You said after all that was over, when we returned alive, that you would tell me whether or not you would marry me."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure my words were, I would answer when you asked me without a mask on. Besides, isn't it kind of cheating? You already know we get married so you already know that I say 'yes'."

He got up, rather abruptly, grabbing his pants on the way out, leaving her alone in the bed in a huff. She followed a few moments after, collecting herself and wrapping the sheet around herself.

The rest of the apartment was dark, the sun having set a while ago, "Mamo-chan?"

The place was empty, did he leave? She moved deeper into the living room, finding him quickly enough and her heart calmed at the sight of him.

"Mamo-chan, I'm sorry. I was just picking on you…"

He stood in the middle of the room, bringing a hand from behind his back and producing a rose the magical way he does. Her breath caught in her throat, cautiously coming closer to him. It was perfect, a perfect rose. The likes she had never seen before and once again her mind wandered as to just how the hell he did that. And to what propose? Was he given that power just to take her breath away, cause it was working.

"So I already talked it over with Shingo and he was happy to give me his blessing. Your Aunt Yukio too, although she seemed confused, apparently she thought we already were married. And the Senshi of course gave me their blessings, so that only leaves you. Tsukino Usagi….will you marry me?"

She had reached him by the time he finished, tears fresh in her eyes, "Yes.."

He grabbed her up, pulling her in tight as if he had actually feared she would say no. Picking her up, he took her over to the couch, setting them both down with her on his lap. He pulled out a ring, a simple diamond ring with a silver band, and slipped it onto her finger. Holding it up to the light, she looked at it closely, noticing the small etchings alone the band, making it look like vines along the sides. It was beautiful.

"It was my mothers." She found his eyes, surprised he had anything so precious of hers, let alone that he would give it her, "it suits you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, the alien feeling of the ring on her finger only filling her heart with more glee, knowing that no matter what came their way, they would face it together. That they would always have no another and one another's back.

Tucking her head under his chin, she sent a silent message up to her parents, thanking them for everything, especially this moment. Looking out the window, she saw their response. It had started to snow.

The End

* * *

Annnndddd...I just now found the horizontal line thing again. Sorry about that guys, didn't even realize my lines weren't showing up. Hope that didn't cause too much confusion! Okay so I have started a third installment but no promises okay? If you have any thoughts or maybe something you feel I missed in this one that you think would be good in the next one, shoot me a review! I will gladly consider it!


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